From the Rubble
by Cass914
Summary: Following the turmoil set in place by Loki, the team is left to pick up the pieces in their lives and relations. They have to figure out their purpose, loves, enemies, friends, and themselves in order to survive. But how will the events that come next affect each team member? Set in the MCU following the Battle of New York, and continuing through the movie timeline. Features OC
1. Chapter 1

As the sun set over the city, the destruction that had taken place that day truly set in. The final rays of light glinted off of the shards of metal, which formerly took shape of skyscrapers and cityscapes, now lying on the ground discarded from the after math of the battle. Amongst the rubble, citizens searched for valuables, pets, and even loved ones as their hope of finding anything important drew to a close along with the day. Amongst the civilians, a lone figure sat, staring into the wreckage. He perked up as he heard someone approach from behind.

"We could have stopped it. We could have been here sooner. We could have kept Loki from destroying these people's homes, their lives, everything…. These people have lost so much, and we could have helped them not to."

"Steve, you can't think like that. You know that you did everything you could for them. Some things are just out of your control. You tried your best, that's all that matters to them, or the team, or me," the female sits beside him, grabbing his hand and leaning against his shoulder. He leans into her, letting some of the weight he had been bearing go, as he visibly relaxes.

"Come on, Cap. It's getting late, and we've had a long day. It's time to get home."

"Ari, I honestly don't even know where home is anymore."

"Home is wherever we have each other. Home is with the team that we fought with until the end today. Home is with the people that, despite all of our fighting, still love us. It's not a physical place, it's the people we're with. So let's go home to them, ok?"

"What would I do without you?" he says, as he puts his arm around her, softly smiling.

"Hopefully that's something you'll never have to find out," Ariadne smiles back to him, "Now come on. I'm starving, and Stark mentioned Shawarma."

As the two heroes stand, you can see how disheveled the battle has left them. Captain America, as the world knows him, looks exhausted, his uniform torn and dirty, and his shield bearing several new scrapes. Ariadne has fared the battle well, not being in the action as much as he was, since she acts as the teams' analyst. It was only towards the end that she was really pulled into the heat of things, managing to hold her own well enough, but not escaping without a few cuts and bruises.

"Hey, there they are! New York's finest!" Clint shouts, spotting the approaching duo. The team has already assembled around the table in one of the few untouched rooms at Stark Tower.

"How you feeling, ace?" Clint asks, as he goes up and pulls Ariadne in for a hug.

"You know, I've felt better, but I'll definitely survive. I'm feeling pretty bruised, though."

"It was impressive how you handled yourself out there. For a rookie," Natasha says, as she brings food out to the table with Pepper.

"Yeah, who knew you had it in you? All that gun shooting, and fan kicks. It almost looked choreographed. You should join us in the field more often" Tony adds, as he enters the room. At this comment, you can see Steve visible stiffen.

"I disagree. I think she's safer behind the desk, and that's where she'll stay," he replies.

"What's wrong, Rogers? Don't want your best friend having more fun than you out there?" Tony says, his voice laced with sarcasm.

"You'd call that fun, Stark?! That out there was war! That was innocent people losing their lives! That was women and children losing their husbands and fathers. That was kids being left orphaned, and engaged couples being left widowed before they even made it to the altar! None of this is fun! We almost lost half of the team itself! So forgive me for not wanting an untrained member of this team to go out there and almost get herself killed again," Steve says, slamming his glass on the table before storming out of the room.

At this outburst, everyone in the room becomes deadly silent, as the memories of their day come racing back. Tony, more than any of them, understands the weight of the events, as he almost didn't return to the team alive after his stunt with the missile. Pepper comes and lays her hands on his shoulders, hoping to alleviate some of the pain that comes flooding to his mind. You can see it in the eyes of Dr. Banner and Thor that neither of them can forget the damage they've caused to others' lives today, despite it being for the greater good. Clint and Natasha exchange a knowing glance, before leaning into each other, realizing that today could have been their last day together.

Ariadne is left speechless, staring out of the tower at the setting sun, fully understanding the consequences that her actions could have led to today. She didn't even think before running into the battle today. As she saw the missile coming in on her radar, she knew that the team had little to no time to fix things, and there was nothing she could do from her position at the tower. She understood that they had very little time left, and as she saw it, the end was imminent. The only thing she had on her mind was getting to her best friend, the man she had grown to know better than anyone else in her life over the course of the last several years. If this was indeed going to be the end of them, she wasn't going to sit by and watch it happen. She was at least going to be with the people that she loved.

In coming to this decision, she didn't realize that the Chitauri would have no awareness that it would be over soon. They would still be fighting to the death, and she would just be another human target to overcome. She had managed to go relatively unnoticed, racing block after block towards the main team, only having to stop to shoot at a few of the aliens. She had almost made it unscathed, too, until she rounded the final corner. It was here that she locked eyes with Steve, and let her guard down. As she slowed down her pace, one of the creatures grabbed her, and could have ended her right then and there had it not been for the timing of Dr. Bruce Banner. She would forever be grateful to him for saving her there, and delivering her safely to the team.

Now, reflecting on everything that had happened to her alone, Ari can't imagine how the rest of the citizens of New York must be feeling. Torn apart, scared, lost, and alone. The gravity of today would be a weight on her shoulders for a long time to come. But this was what she had signed up for. She signed up to help save the world from whatever she could, and she knew that she can't win them all… but she never thought that losing one would feel as God awful as this one did.

Sensing the tension in the room, Thor finally decides to speak up. Raising his glass, he spoke out to the team,

"I know that today was rough for many of us. I am forever sorry for the trouble and pain that my brother has caused to your people. But know that we are now a team. We are now a family. I will do whatever I can to help your world regain its strength. Today we fought as one, and we will win as one. We cannot focus on our downfalls, but only on our strengths. For tonight should be a night of celebration, as today was filled with enough darkness to last us many moons. So let us forget our pain, if only for a while. Let us sit, and enjoy, and eat!"

This seemed to be the encouragement the team needed to snap out of their daze, as they moved towards the table.

"Wait, where's Steve?" Bruce asked.

"Don't worry, I'll go find him. This could take a bit, so you guys can go ahead and start," Ariadne replied, snapping out of her reverie.

Pepper walked over, and gave a small hug to the obviously shaken and hurting young girl. "He'll be fine, sweetie. So will you. We all will be. Because we have each other, right?"

The others all nodded in agreement, and as Ariadne looked around the room, she saw the encouraging faces of a new family. Clint and Natasha sent her warm smiles that seemed to reach their eyes, as Bruce gave her the encouraging fatherly look she'd come to love from him. Thor gave her a beaming grin that made her heart warm, and even Tony sent her a look that said 'I'm here for you, and him.' Though it was disjointed, and abnormal, it was her perfect family, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

"Thanks, everyone. Go ahead and eat. Just make sure Thor and Banner save us some food for later," and with a wink and a smile, she walked down the halls of Stark Tower to find where her super soldier had gone.

**Hi, all! This is my first Avengers story that I've published, so please let me know what you think of it! I'm a huge Marvel fan, so I love being able to create a little bit more backstory on how the MCU interconnects these lovely characters, and what really happens with the others when things get tough for one of the team members. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Please, review and let me know what you think!**

**-C.**

**PS: Disclaimer for the entirety of this story: I do not now, nor have I ever (to my knowledge) owned anything more than a small piece of stock in the Marvel company. Therefore, the Avengers, characters, and story lines surrounding them are owned strictly by the wonderful Walt Disney Corporation and all those involved. I am merely a humble fan who loves putting her own spin on things. **


	2. Chapter 2

Ariadne wandered down the halls, following the sound of Steve's grunting and heavy objects being thrown. As she peeked around a corner, she finally spotted him. He had shed his uniform and changed into his usual khakis and white T-shirt, something he only did when he felt truly ashamed of himself. He had explained it to her before that he wouldn't wear the uniform if he felt like he had let anyone down in it. He would no longer feel worthy to be looked at as a hero, because he wouldn't feel like one himself.

As she watched him, she could see all of the pain and frustration he was attempting to unleash. He was throwing chunks of concrete left in one of the rooms, as the cold New York breeze flowed into the room from the shattered windows.

"You know, I think Loki did enough dismantling of this place for us today. You don't need to help him," she smirks, as she leans against what's left of the doorjamb with her arms crossed.

He paused from throwing the piece he had in his hands, letting it instead sink to the ground. Glancing over at his best friend, he could see how strong she was trying to be for him right now. This day had taken so much out of the two of them, and he knew that all they truly had left was each other. Dropping the concrete, he wiped his hands off on his flannel, before throwing on the jacket he had discarded earlier in his rage. Walking over to Ari, he pulled her into his arms, allowing himself to realize how lucky he was to still have her around. The moment he had seen that Chitauri show up behind her today, he had felt his heart stop in his chest. He was sure he was going to lose the only person he had left in that instant, and his mind couldn't comprehend how to get to her in time to save her. He hadn't started breathing again until Bruce had saved her and barreled through the remaining obstacles in his Hulk form to deliver her safely to the rest of the team.

"I'm sorry for my outburst in there. It's just… Stark gets me so mad when he talks like that. Everything is not fine, and we can't just go on pretending that it is…" as he paused, he allowed himself to look Ari in the eyes, "I almost lost you today. How'd that happen, huh?"

Ari looked down at the ground, unable to maintain the intense stare Steve was giving her. "I know… I was so stupid, and I didn't watch my back. But when I saw that missile coming in on my screen… I had to get to you. I wasn't just gonna sit by myself or let you be in harms way when I could at least try to get to you. I'm sorry for worrying you."

Steve pulled her over to what was left of the step in the room, sitting them both down before putting an arm around her and letting her lean against him. For a moment, the two just sat, breathing in the fresh air and relishing in the fact that they were both still okay. They had made it out alive, this time.

"Did you know it's been 2 years since they found me? It's been 2 years since we met, and since I somehow decided to befriend this annoying, funny, intelligent SHIELD agent that was always around," Steve said, looking down at Ariadne.

"Hey, you forgot charming, witty, and beautiful in that list, Mr.! It is hard to believe that it's only been 2 years, though. It honestly seems like a lifetime ago… I haven't had anyone to confide in as much as I have with you since my parents… Well, you know. But, I am very grateful for you, Mr. Rogers. Thanks for always being a wonderful best friend to me. And for putting up with me. And for spending holidays with me. And just for making me feel less… alone in the world."

"The feeling is mutual, Miss Grace. Thank you for making me feel more included in this century, and for teaching me about the nuances of today, and showing me those Pixel movies—"

"Pixar. They're Pixar movies, Steve," Ari interrupts, laughing.

"Right, Pixar movies. Hey, maybe now that the insanity is over for the time being, we can watch some more of them," Steve said, looking down at his best friend.

"Maybe… but first I might need to get a new TV set. I'm pretty sure my apartment got taken out about an hour into the battle today…" Ari said in realization.

"What was that you were saying about home earlier? We just have to be with each other. Besides, I overheard Stark talking to Bruce about turning this place into Avengers tower.."

"YOU living with TONY?! Now there's a sight I'm dying to see…"

"Yeah, yeah… But for now, let's just take a moment to breathe. We can figure that all out tomorrow," Steve said, looking out again over the night skyline, the twinkling lights of the occasional building still shining out amongst the destruction, proving hope for the new day.

"Steve, can we go eat now? I'm absolutely starving,"

"Yes, let's go see if they left us anything but scraps," Steve chuckled in response, pulling Ariadne to stand with him, pulling her in for one last comforting hug.

"I'm very glad to know you, Ariadne Grace."

"And I you, Steven Rogers."

**Hi, lovelies! Surprise! 2 chapters in one day, also known as procrastinating my final papers! Please please please review this story! I am super unsure if I'm writing this well, so your feedback would mean the world to me! This chapter is a bit shorter, but kind of gives you a look into Ari and Steve's friendship! Let me know what you think, and I'll see y'all when I post the next chapter! **

**-C.**


	3. Chapter 3

Ariadne was sound asleep when she felt the heat of bright sunlight brush against her face. She struggled to open her eyes, snuggling into the warmth next to her, which was a stark comparison to the otherwise cold concrete floor they were sleeping on. As she finally opened her eyes to look around at her surroundings, the weight of yesterday's events rushed back to her head. She looked back down to her left, to find a still peaceful Steve, sleeping where she had just been only moments ago. Quietly standing, she tried her best to not disturb any of the other team members who were still asleep in their temporary quarters. The majority of the tower had been destroyed in the battle, and so they opted for camping out together on the floor of one of the rooms with the least damage. It looked the most structurally sound at that point, and wouldn't let in as much of a draft as the other rooms that were lacking windows would.

As Ari approached the used-to-be kitchen, she realized that she was not the first of the Avengers to have woken. Bruce was standing, looking over the rising sun, and the city that only 24 hours ago stood in prestige. Now, the dawn of the new day brought to light all of the work that had to be done for the torn apart town.

"It's a new day, Doc. New hopes, new dreams, new chances," Ari said, approaching him to join in his silent watching of the world below.

"I suppose your right. A new day to see just how many new ways we can screw up this time," Banner responded, looking distraught over the damage he had again inadvertently caused to New York.

"You can't think like that, Bruce. You've gotta be positive, right now. That's what we all need. A little positivity."

"I don't see how you're always so positive, Ari. Doesn't anything bring you down?"

Ari took a moment before responding, looking at the scars that were left on her arm and in her mind from many years ago,

"You know, I used to… But then I realized, looking at all of the hurt and pain life brought me would only cause me more hurt. And anger…" At this word, Bruce looked down, feeling the words connect to him on a personal level… "And I decided one day, that's not how I wanted to live my life. So, I joined S.H.I.E.L.D. and I've been dedicated to helping prevent others from feeling pain as much as I can ever since,"

"Well, sunshine, that's a beautiful way to look at things," Tony interrupted, walking into the room, and scavenging for any food that may have survived, "Speaking of keeping others from feeling pain, I'm starving. So you haven't seen anything that could be used to make an omelet, have you?"

"Good morning to you too, Stark," Bruce responded, chuckling at his partners antics.

Ariadne sat at the old breakfast table, playing around with the ideas that had been running through her head half the night when she finally decided to voice them. "You know, Tony, I was thinking about how we could start to rebuild the tower. If we spend the next couple of days cleaning up the place, we can start the remodel by Wednesday, and then I was thinking we could all have a room here, and this could be our new sort of team hub. I know you mentioned the idea to Bruce yesterday, and I think it's great. I know that you aren't always super keen on the team thing, but I figured after everything it may be better for us all to be toge—"

"Woah, hold your horses. This is entirely too much planning and thinking before I've even had my first cup of coffee for the day. I'll start planning the remodel after breakfast."

"We'll start planning." Ariadne added, with a pointed look that clearly read 'we're a team now, remember?'

"Alright, then. _We'll _start planning after breakfast. Now what do you propose we do about the current food situation?" Tony said, holding up what used to be some sort of fruit.

"Well, I'm glad to see you're clearly doing alright today," Pepper laughed, coming in to give Tony a small kiss on the cheek before standing beside him, "The others aren't up yet, so I'm planning on taking the car to find the nearest standing market and pick us up some food and supplies for the day. JARVIS, can you please bring the least damaged car out of the garage for me?"

"Right away, Miss Potts," the home's computer system responded over the internal speakers. As Tony went with Pepper to give her a list of things to get, Steve entered the room, stretching as a sign of just having woken up.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," laughed Ariadne, as she straightened the hair on Steve's head that was sticking out in a million directions. "Rough night?"

"You have no idea," he sighed, while slumping into the semi-melted chair by the open window. "I haven't slept on that hard of ground since 1942."

"Well, you won't have to worry about that much longer," chimed in, Bruce. "Our girl here, and Stark are gonna get this place into top shape in no time."

"This place? You mean we are all going to stay here? I thought that Tony was being sarcastic yesterday." Steve questioned.

"Look, I know you and Tony don't always see eye-to-eye, but I think it's best if the team has a place that we can all come back to. Together. It'll help us as a team, and personally," Ari said, while walking over to rub his shoulders.

As the three continued to stare out over the New York City view, they became lost in their own thoughts. Thoughts of what the future would hold for them, and how their team could ever regain its strength after the difficulty of last night.

"I heard Thor mention to Natasha and Clint last night that he's planning on taking Loki back to Asgard," Ari mumbled to the rest of them. "It's going to be strange not having him around."

"Don't worry. The big guy will always visit," Stark said, reentering the room. "Now, enough sulking. Let's get to work. JARVIS, will you pull up the schematics so we can assess the damage?"

"Right away, sir. Here are the blueprints. I've highlighted the trouble spots in red, as well as assembled a list of suggested repairs on the right."

"Alright, Grace. What are your thoughts on fixing this place up? You are, after all, 'the expert designer of this team.'" Tony shrugged.

"Stark, Fury said that about me _once_. Let it go. Besides, it's kind of my job, so…" Ariadne argued back, while approaching the projections that JARVIS had pulled up for them.

As the two continued to plan, Bruce and Steve walked away, leaving them to their work. The two Avengers moved into what used to be the dining room, observing the mess that surrounded them inside and outside of the tower.

Steve sighed as he leaned against a wall, laughing to himself as he felt it shift behind him.

"God, we sure did do a number on this place, didn't we Dr. Banner?"

"A number? We did the whole damn musical on this place. And New York… I don't know how we are going to be able to fix this all. It seems like everytime I come to help, I just end up hurting things more than anything…"

"I know the feeling. But at the end of the day, we have to think about everything we have accomplished, not everything that we couldn't. Or at least that's what an annoyingly positive little birdie told me…" Steve glanced through the broken wall back into the room where Ari was hard at work with Stark. Bruce followed his gaze, already knowing where it would be directed.

"She really means a lot to you, doesn't she Cap?"

Before Steve could argue, Bruce gave him a look that clearly told him to not even go there. Steve sighed, nodding his head as he admitted,

"The world has changed a lot. It's hard to find anyone who has the same ideas and values as I did when I went… Well, when I took a swim. She's one of the few people that actually understands what it's like to lose everything and have to rebuild. And she wears her heart on her sleeve. Ari would always be there for anyone she can be, whether she's known them for years, or she just met them…" At this, Steve smiled, recalling his memories with the girl that will forever be his best friend. "You know, it's funny. She actually reminds me… She reminds me a lot of…"

"Peggy. She reminds you of Peggy, doesn't she…" Bruce interrupts.

"Yeah. Yeah, I suppose she does. I mean, obviously not in the same way, because Ari and I are just best friends, but she really does mean the world to me… I guess that's why I couldn't imagine losing her…. Letting her down, too…" Steve walked to look down at the ground, picking up pieces of broken wood, and piling them as he thought. "Dr. Banner… Bruce, I want to thank you for what you did yesterday. For getting her out of harms way. I couldn't get there in time, and if it wasn't for you… Well, I don't even want to think about where she would be right now."

Bruce walks over to Steve, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Steve, you don't have to thank me. She means a lot to me, too. To all of us, really. We're a team now, Cap. We've gotta stick together."

As the two men smiled at each other, acknowledging the bond that had been created between them over the past several days, they heard the sound of cursing, and suddenly raised voices coming from the other room.

"We should probably get back in there before they kill each other, huh?" Steve laughed.

And with that, the two heroes went to face their biggest challenge of all: two brilliant minds trying to collaborate.

**Alright, folks! Please, let me know what you are thinking of the story thus far! Right now it's pretty uneventful, since it's all establishing setting, time period and relationships right now. But action will come fairly soon, I promise! Reviews would be much appreciated! **

**Have a wonderful day! **

**-C.**


	4. Chapter 4

It was a beautiful summer day, and the sun was shining over the famous sites of the town. People were busy going from place to place and task to task, as neighbors helped each other in clearing the streets and fixing their buildings. It had been almost a week since the battle, and things were starting to get back to normal. Relief groups and funds from all over the world were coming together to assist in the efforts. A true sign of camaraderie was being shown by all involved, and the city was proving just how strong it could be in the face of trauma. This was the case all over the city, including in our very own Stark Tower, or as it would soon be known Avengers Tower.

The team was busy at work, having finished clearing out all of the rubble days ago, and now beginning on the repairs and improvements set in place by Stark and Ari. As the sound of AC/DC played loudly in the background, the team moved quickly to complete the tower as soon as possible.

"God damn it!" a voice rang out amidst the noise of crashes and tools. "STARK!" a very angry Natasha yelled out.

"What's wrong, spidey?" Tony asked, glancing up from the electrical work he was doing in the new and improved lab.

"One of your damn building robots keeps messing up," she said, walking in and tossing the broken pipe from the robot towards Stark. "I'm telling you, you're using too much tech on this job. We could get it done ten times faster if we didn't have to deal with all of these shitty robots getting in our way."

Tony rolled his chair towards the glass panes of the lab, looking out to see the robots cooperating perfectly fine under JARVIS' direction.

"I think the robots are just fine. Maybe they just don't like working with your Russian blood," Tony said, sending a smartass look towards Natasha. As she began to walk his direction with an upset look in her eyes, Clint entered the room.

"Hey, watch it Stark. You don't want any of that Russian blood coming your way," Clint laughed, pulling Natasha back from doing anything she would later regret.

"What's the progress report, birdman?" Stark asked, returning to his electrical work. Barton nearly rolled his eyes, never understanding why Tony refused to use the teammembers' names.

"You're gonna have to ask the good doctor or Ari for the answer to that question, Stark. I'm just here to tell Natasha that Fury needs us back at headquarter. Apparently he has another mission for us involving some odd radiation levels in Beijing."

"Aww, and you guys will miss the fun part of building the tower! You just want to have your own rooms without having to do any of the work!" Tony joked, standing up and walking out of the lab in search of someone who could tell him the progress of the building. Natasha and Clint followed, going their separate ways to gather their belongings before returning to SHIELD.

"What, no goodbyes?! I'm hurt guys!" Tony yelled after them, receiving a chuckle from Clint and a middle finger from Natasha.

"JARVIS, what's the current location of one of our two geniuses? Myself not included, of course." Tony asked, while walking into the kitchen to grab a blueberry.

"SHIT!" Tony glanced up to find the speaker of the curse, only to see Ari painting the ceiling of the kitchen.

"Nevermind, JARVIS. I found our lovely designer on my own," Tony told the computer, leaning back against the counter, and enjoying the sight of Ariadne struggling to clean off the giant glob of paint that had seemingly just fallen on her.

"You gonna just stand there, Stark, or are you gonna hand me a towel before this paint gets on your beloved robots, too?" Ari said, slowly climbing down the ladder so as to not make a bigger mess.

"Good point," Tony responded, quickly reaching around to hand the roll of paper towels to her. As Ari worked to clean herself up, she glanced questioningly at Tony.

"Something I can help you with?"

"Oh, right. I came to check in with you on the current status of the construction. Blueberry?" he asked, reaching the bag towards her. Ari shook her head no, and Tony continued to walk towards the kitchen table, pulling the schematics for the building out of the touch screen. Ari walked over to join him, zooming in on the upper, and only remaining section to be finished in their rebuild.

"Right, so this level is obviously the common area. As you can see, we still have quite a bit to do," she said, gesturing through the open area at the mass amount of chaos and work occurring. Bruce was on the balcony, programming the lights and speakers system that ran through the entirety of the tower. Pepper was working with Rhodey, as he assisted her in placing the furniture in the newly finished living room. Steve was off in one of the other rooms, finishing the dry wall or doing some other laborious task, as he insisted was the best use of his time and skills. Tony's robots moved around, painting walls, cleaning floors, and doing other odd jobs to assist in the tasks.

"Yours and Pepper's floor is right below this, and is completely built. I assume you two can figure out the furniture and décor on your own," Ari laughed, as Pepper carried her binder of color swatches and fabrics everywhere these days. Tony merely rolled his eyes, but also expressed a slight smile as he thought of how much he loved Pepper.

"Bruce is obviously on the top floor, as he requested that the other guy had the most room to breathe. He's sharing his living areas with our team lab, as well. That still has quite a bit of work to be done on it, but I'm sure it'll be finished by the end of the week.

"Natasha and Clint's quarters are the floor below yours, and they also have the gym on their level," Tony sent Ari a look on that comment.

"I know, I know. But it was Romanoff's request, and I wasn't about to tell her no. Anyways, Thor's floor is below that, and he also has room for guests and Jane. Steve's and my floor is below that, and we have the computer labs and art studios in between our wings. Those three floors just need the finishing touches, but everything itself is built.

"And then in the floors below ours, everything else are our analysis labs, SHIELD centers, weapons and gear rooms, garage, etc. Everything is coming along well, and pretty soon here we will be a fully operational SHIELD and Avengers hub," Ari finished, looking very pleased that her design was working so well. Tony had been a tough sell on some of the elements, but together the two had designed what would be the best home for the team.

Tony smiled at Ari, realizing just how successful their teamwork had been. "Well, whenever we are all in New York, this sure is going to be a wonderful place for us. Thanks for all of your hard work, Grace." Clapping her on the shoulder, he pushed off of the counter he had been leaning on, returning to the lab and his work.

Laughing to herself and shaking her head, Ari whispered under her breath, "Any time, Stark. Anytime."

As she returned to her painting, she couldn't help but let her mind wander about what Tony had said. 'whenever we are all in New York.' She hadn't considered the fact that despite having a family place, now, they would still have their separate lives to return to. Bruce, Steve, and herself would remain here, as New York was their home. But what about when they were on missions? Even now, Clint and Natasha had just gone off on a SHIELD errand.

Tony and Pepper had whole lives out in L.A., and that's where Stark industries was. Surely, their time would be split in between the two coasts. Thor had been back in Asgard for a week now, having taken Loki and the Tessaract back for safekeeping. She wondered how he was doing, and hoped he would visit when he had the time.

She understood that their line of work as super heroes and spies didn't exactly equip itself for the family, settling down thing. But she did wish that sometimes the team could have its chance to just breathe for awhile; to take a break and enjoy each others company. Maybe during the holidays, she thought, laughing to herself and continuing her painting. If nothing else, she'd always have Steve. But she would miss the moments when they were all together.

**Hi, everyone! I hope you enjoyed Chapter 4! I'm hoping that this story has been enjoyable for y'all, but I would really love some feedback! I have some idea of where I want to go with it, but any input you guys have would be much appreciated. I want to make sure that this story is engaging for you, so please, give me some reviews to go off of! If you like it, I'd love to hear that! If you don't, let me know what you think I could do better! Next chapter we're gonna get a look at how Thor is doing after returning to Asgard. **

**Have a wonderful weekend!**

**-C. **


	5. Chapter 5

The galaxy was swirling around him, as Thor looked out past the edge of his world towards the other realms. It had been weeks since he had returned to Asgard, and he desperately longed to be back with his friends, and his love. He missed Jane fiercely, and he wanted nothing more than to be with her again. But he knew that he had a responsibility to his home and his people, and so he would remain in Asgard for as long as it would take to see that everything was all right.

Loki had been condemned to solitude by Odin when Thor brought him back. In order for his treachery to remain unrepeated, he was stripped of the majority of his powers. Confined in a glass cage, he was given the bare necessities to live.

Thor would never forget the looks on his parent's faces as he brought Loki back to their realm. Freya had looked so relieved to see that her son was still alive. Tears came streaming to her eyes as she saw the young man she had raised from infancy, the young man she had thought she would never see in the flesh again. However, underlying the joy of seeing her son was a sadness. A sadness brought on by the realization that her beloved baby boy had betrayed his family and the world. A sadness that came from realizing that he was truly no longer her son, at least not completely; and he surely no longer felt as though she was entirely his mother. Their connection had been broken, along with her heart.

Odin, on the other hand, had shown no sign of relief or gladness to see Loki. Instead, his eyes were as cold and dark as he presumed his traitor of a son's soul was. Although "son" was no longer a term Odin would use towards Loki. He had lost that right when he betrayed them. Now, he was just a frostgiant that Odin had made the mistake of taking in. He was a monster, and Odin was naïve to think he would ever be anything but that.

As Thor continued to reflect on the happenings of the past several weeks, he heard footsteps approach from behind.

"She thinks of you, too. Often."

"Tell me, Heimdall. Where is she now? Is she safe?"

Heimdall approached Thor, stopping to stand beside him and stare out into the realms, seeing where Thor's beloved currently sat.

"She's hard at work, searching for facts and ways."

"Ways for what?"

"Ways to find a way to you," Heimdall replied. Thor seemed taken aback by the news, relieved that she thought of him as much as he thought of her, but overwhelmingly guilty that he couldn't use his ability to return to her. Swallowing back the tears that threatened to spring to his eyes, he asked,

"And the others? What of them?"

"They are scattered. Avengers Tower is complete, and that is where the Captain, the scientist, and the designer are currently residing. The man of iron and his beloved are in the west, and he seems to be coming across some difficulties. The assassins are off on a mission, but are returning soon to the safety of their new home. All are well, for the time being."

Thor, seeming pleased to hear that his beloved team was faring well, clapped Heimdall on the back, preparing to make his way inside.

"Thank you, Heimdall. You have been of great help today." As he prepared to walk away, Heimdall reached out an arm to stop him.

"But be wary, my prince. All will not remain still for long. Soon, I fear, a member of the team will face great tragedy and struggle." Thor turned to Heimdall, struggling to understand how he can help.

"Which one?! I must warn them immediately!" Thor said, while grasping his hammer in his hand.

"I cannot tell you that much, for it would upset the fates. But know that there will be significant changes to the team's circumstances by the time that you can return."

"So I will be able to return?" Thor questioned, hope glistening in his eyes. Heimdall merely turned away from Thor, returning to his post.

"Until next time, my prince. You should go inside. Your mother is waiting for you." Heimdall said over his shoulder, leaving Thor to his thoughts.

As Thor turned to fly back to the palace, he thought of the things Heimdall had just spoken of. Would his team face troubles soon? How could he stay in Asgard when his friends needed him? It wasn't until he thought of Loki and the trouble his family was in because of the young prince that he remembered why he had left in the first place.

Taking one last look into the stars, Thor grabbed his hammer, and vowed to return to his beloved realm, and to his beloved Jane as soon as time and fate would allow it.

**Hi, all! I am so sorry about how long this took to get posted, and yet it is still a rather short chapter! Life has been crazy as summer has started, but I promise that I will be uploading more regularly now that things are starting to calm down. As usual, please let me know what you are thinking by reviewing! Any feedback you have would be much appreciated. Hope you enjoyed this short little insight into Thor's return to Asgard!**

**-C. **


	6. Chapter 6

As she set down the steaming cup of chai, Ari took a moment to observe the beautiful city she called home before she cleaned up her art studio. Ari had just completed her newest sketches for Steve's redesigned uniform, and she was sure that it would keep her star spangled soldier even safer than before; and safety was something that the team could always use a little more of.

"Miss Grace, I believe there is something on the television that you need to see," voiced JARVIS.

"Alright, J. Go ahead and turn it on for me, if you don't mind."

Ari turned her attention away from the skyline, and towards the holographic screen that JARVIS had projected for her. The news that was coming, though, was something she could in no way prepare herself for.

"_We have a breaking story coming in now from our partners on the west coast. Billionaire Tony Stark has reportedly gone missing. Stark recently called out the current killer the Mandarin after his head bodyguard Happy Hogan was severely injured. Stark's Los Angeles home went under attack today, and was completely destroyed. His former assistant and Stark Industries CEO Pepper Potts was found alive, as well as an unknown woman, but Mr. Stark has not yet been found."_

As Ariadne let the gravity of the news sink in, she couldn't believe the words she was hearing. Tony was missing. Their Tony, her Tony. The man that she had come to rely on as a part of her team, and even a part of her family. Shock couldn't even begin to describe how she was feeling inside. Fighting the tears that were threatening to come, she quickly turned and ran to the elevator. She had to tell the others what was going on. Nat and Clint were away on a mission, so she hoped that they had already been informed by Fury. Thor would be impossible to notify, but she could at least get to the two men in the same place as she was: Steve and Bruce. Maybe then they could set a plan. Her mind was running a million miles an hour as she tried to process everything.

The elevator doors opened, and she hurried out onto the level that housed the gymnasium, praying to every being that he would be here. Sure enough, she heard the sounds of fists hitting the bag, as she went towards the room that should contain the one person she needed right now.

"Steve! Steve, we need to talk!" Ari shouted, as she rushed in, pacing as she unleashed some of her worry, "We need to do something! Something terrible has happened. We have to go find Bruce, and come up with a plan, and…"

Steve put his hands on his shaking best friend, halting her motion and mile a minute words, and forcing her to look him in the eye.

"Ari, hey, calm down. Everything's fine. What happened?" he asked, with concern dripping through his voice. It had been a long time since he had seen her this shaken up over something, and he would do whatever he could to make her feel better.

As Ari looked at Steve, she tried as hard as she could not to burst into tears.

"It's Tony. He's in trouble. He's… he's missing Steve. He was attacked today, and now he's missing, and no one knows where he is, and the Mandarin is after him, and oh, God, Steve, what if he's dead?! What would we do without him, and we should've been there to help him, and I can't believe this is hap—"

"Hey, hey, it's ok. He's gonna be ok, sweetheart. Tony's gonna be fine," Steve said, pulling Ari in for a close hug, trying to give her all the comfort that he can. "Let's go find Banner, and make sure he knows what's happening. Then we can all go from there, and do what we can to find him. Trust me, Tony Stark isn't the type to roll over and play dead at the drop of the hat. He's still out there, and he's still fighting. He'll be just fine."

Pulling Ari's chin up so that she was looking him in the eyes, Steve took a moment to realize just how hard this was hitting her. He would do whatever he could to save Tony, if not for the man he had come to consider some strange sort of friend, but for the girl standing in front of him.

"Let's go talk with Dr. Banner," Steve said, reluctantly pulling out of their embrace, and instead placing his hand on the small of her back to guide her towards the elevator. As they entered, and Steve pushed the button for the lab level, he could sense just how much Ari needed comforting right now. If not from the way that she looked, but from the way that she stood close enough to feel his body heat, taking safety in the warmth of her best friend. Looking down at her, he grabbed her hand, intertwining her fingers with his own. This gesture caused her to look up at Steve, and she gave him a squeeze of the hand and a small smile as a silent 'thank you for being here.'

As they entered the lab, they could tell that Bruce hadn't heard the news yet. Not wanting Ari to have to get worked up again, Steve stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on Bruce's shoulder to pull his attention from his work.

"Bruce, we need to talk. We have some bad news about Tony. He's… Well, you see he's gone missing after an attack on his home by the Mandarin."

Bruce seemed incredibly shocked at first, struggling to believe that his team mate, his lab partner, and his best friend was in danger, or worse. For a moment, you could see the anger flash across his eyes, as he tried to contain the grief he felt from affecting the other guy. Taking a pained deep breath, he closed his eyes and asked Steve through gritted teeth,

"So what does this mean? Are we all being hunted?"

"As of now, we think that the Mandarin was only after Stark. We believe that they may have had a history, or at least someone he is working with did," a new voice chimed in, as Nick Fury entered the scene.

"This is a nice place you've got here. You did a wonderful job on the design, Miss Grace," Fury continued, walking further into the lab to talk with three of his best employees.

"Cut the chit chat, Fury, and tell us what the hell is happening," Ariadne spoke up, stepping towards Fury from the lab chair she was previously sitting on.

"Well, Miss Grace, it seems that Mr. Stark got himself into some trouble. He's sometimes not the best at making friends, as some of you should know," glancing towards Steve, "However, for the time being there is nothing that seems to be indicating his death. That's where you three come in. Agent Barton and Agent Romanoff can't be pulled from their current mission, so I am going to need you three to help Miss Potts track down Tony. You can use any and all resources of S.H.I.E.L.D. However, I don't want you three running after the Mandarin or getting yourselves publicly involved. He was crazy enough to go after one of us, I don't need any more missing team members. Just make sure you bring our boy home in one piece, got it?"

"Mr. Fury, may I interrupt? There seems to be more information regarding Mr. Stark on the news,"

"By all means, JARVIS. Keep us informed," Fury said, moving to where he could see the holographic screen along with the others.

"_This afternoon, the suit that was believed to have been the last thing billionaire Tony Stark was seen in was found along the interstate in Missouri. There is still no sign of Stark himself, and local authorities are telling us that it looks rather grim. At this point in time, no official announcement has been made, but it is currently believed that the Iron Man inventor may be dead."_

At this a small gasp was heard from Ariadne. Steve moved closer to her, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her to his side for comfort.

"Ari, we don't know that for sure yet. He could still be out there," Steve softly says to her.

"Don't you see?" Ari asks, stepping away from Steve and waving the holograph away. "He's alive! There's no trace of him, which means that he's being smart! He knows that someone is after him, so he left parts of his suit in order to let whoever tried to kill him think that they succeeded! It's so wonderfully Tony to do!"

"Ariadne, are you sure?" Bruce asks, stepping off of his lab stool. "I mean, I want Tony back more than anyone, but I don't want you getting your hopes up…"

"Bruce, we know Tony. We know that he's smart enough to get himself out of this. He's out there. And now, just like Fury here said, it's up to us to find him. Together," Ari finishes, looking at each of her team members.

"Then that's just what we'll do. We will help however we can," Steve said, willing to support his best friend in whatever hunches she may have. She has never let him down before, and she won't now.

"Perfect!" Ari said, clapping her hands together. "I'll call Pepper and see if she knows anything. I'll ask her to keep me in the loop if she hears anything from Tony. Bruce, I need you to triangulate all of our equipment so that it focuses in on the type of radio frequencies Tony uses in his suits. Director Fury, I'm going to need you to get our computers connected to all of your news and in tell you receive through SHIELD. Steve, I'm going to need you to help me go through all of the data and chatter involving Stark. That includes any terrorist networks that may have suspicion he's still alive as well. If anyone finds his whereabouts before us, we need to know and beat them to the punch."

With one final nod at the 3 men in the room, who all seemed rather takenaback by Ariadne's sudden take control nature, Ari prepared to exit the room.

"Let's go save our Avenger."

**There you have it, folks! See, I promised to upload more regularly, didn't I? ;) I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next we will get to see the return of Tony to the team, and just how they will take his news from the end of IM3. As always, please let me know what you think in the reviews. I hope you all have a lovely evening, and I'll have more for you very soon! **

**-C. **


	7. Chapter 7

"…everything comes to its own.. And the fact that you've been able to help me process-"

Bruce jumped awake at the sound of his glasses dropping, and the realization that he had dozed off on Tony venting to him about everything that had happened over the last couple of weeks.

"Are you actively napping?" Ahh, there was that Tony Stark sarcasm that everyone on the team had been missing. Despite repeatedly telling Tony that Bruce was in fact not that kind of doctor, Tony still seemed insistent upon his best friend helping him through everything he had gone through.

"You know, Bruce, as hard of a time as I give you, I really couldn't have gotten through that all without you. Without any of you, really," Tony said, completely sincerely, which was a rarity that few got to see.

"It's what friends… No, it's what brothers are for," Bruce said, smiling back at the man that he was proud to call his best friend.

It had been a tough first week or so, but after Tony had contacted Pepper through his Iron Man suit, Ari had been able to work with Bruce on tracking the signal. That, in combination with the additional explosions, it was easy to find a track to follow. From there, they let Tony work everything out, while still maintaining a watchful eye and ensuring that their partner would make it home safely. There had been a few close calls with the whole Extremis situation, and there were times that they were ready to jump into battle to save Tony and Pepper. But Fury insisted that they not risk the entire team, and Tony would make it out ok in the end. And once again, the man with only one eye had better vision for what was going on than the rest of the team combined.

"Banner. Bruce! Come on man, don't keep spacing out on me like that," Tony said, standing up and making his way towards the elevator. "Come on. Let's go grab a bite to eat and talk with the rest of the team. We have a lot of debriefing to do."

As they sat around the lunch table, the entire team (sans Thor) seemed incredibly grateful to have the group back together. Though there was a rare silence amongst them, it was a comfortable one. One marking how much they were simply enjoying not having to run off and save the world at that moment. Instead, they were able to just sit, and revel in each other's presence.

"So, wait. You could have removed the arc reactor all this time, and you just now got around to doing it? How does that work?" Ariadne questioned, breaking the silence and asking the one question she had been dying to know.

"No, miss sassy pants, I couldn't have removed it 'all this time.' The procedure became available just in this past year, and the doctors said that I looked promising. There was still some risk to it, though, so Pepper and I chose to wait. However, after all of the risk that we just went through, I figured it was time to stop waiting and start planning a future where I won't be slowly poisoning myself, and will have more time focusing on what is important." Tony responded, placing his hand on Pepper's and smiling down at the woman he loved, but had almost lost. The recent events had truly changed Tony for the better, and had given him a better understanding of what it meant to "save the world." For him, Pepper was his world, and it had taken him too long to realize it.

"So what's next, Stark? Are you planning on heading back west? Continuing Stark Industries?" Clint asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Well, I'm actually glad you asked that. I think that Pepper and I could use a change of scenery after everything. I'm not sure I'm up for moving back to a city that has repeatedly tried to kill me,"

"Stark, the city can't kill you. The people can kill you, but not the city. And if you're worried about the people trying to kill you, then are you planning to build your own rocketship to live on? Cause I'm pretty sure you're going to have a hard time living around other people and not end up having one of them wanting to kill you," Natasha interrupted, earning a chuckle from Clint, and a solid glare from Tony.

"Very funny, Black Soul, but as I was saying, Pepper and I don't feel like L.A. is home for us anymore. We were thinking about taking some time, and moving back out here to Avengers Tower. After all, we do have a whole floor here, and I do pay for it. Might as well get my money's worth," Tony responded, shrugging it off like it was nothing.

"Aww, you missed us!" Ariadne cooed at Tony, as she continued to help Steve clear the plates from the table.

"I just figure that after seeing everything that I just saw, there's a lot more out there that we are going to have to be prepared for. And it would be easier to prepare for it if we do it together," Tony said, moving from the dining room to the more comfortable lounge area, with the rest of the group joining him.

"What sort of stuff are you talking about, Stark?" Steve asked, walking into the room with his arms folded.

"Well, take Extremis for instance. They were experimenting with the human body. Trying to recreate you, Capsicle. But, just like Banner, that didn't exactly go as planned… They weren't the first to try this sort of genetic mutation, and they certainly won't be the last. There are always going to be more people trying to become extraordinary, and will do it by any means necessary. And I think it's up to us to try and stop them," Tony explained.

"I'm getting really tired of people trying to play God and experiment with things that they shouldn't experiment with," Steve sighed, sliding down to sit next to Ari on her cushion on the floor.

"Well, Cap, whether we like it or not, Stark's right. New things are gonna be heading our way, and we've gotta be prepared for it," Clint chimed in from his seat on the sofa next to Nat. As they spoke, Bruce's phone went off, alerting him to incoming news.

"Speaking of new things, I think we might want to check this out…" He told the rest of the team. "JARVIS, please turn the TV onto CNN."

"Right away, Dr. Banner."

"_Just moments ago we received confirmation that the hero and god known as Thor has in fact returned to Earth. Last seen in London, Thor seems to be battling some sort of extraterrestrial being. Nothing is too clear in the details right now, but we suspect that it is somehow connected to the recent ramblings of renowned Dr. Erik Selvig and his study on the Convergence with Dr. Jane Foster. We will keep you updated as this story unfolds."_

"Well, I guess the whole gang is back…" Ari says from the floor, as they all wonder how each time their partner returns, he is somehow destroying another major city.

"Man, does it look like he's been working out? I think he must be on some sort of Asgardian prince regiment," Tony laughed, earning an annoyed, yet endeared eye roll from the rest of his team as they remembered how much they fought to get him back.

**There you have it, folks! We are definitely moving forward in the MCU timeline! Pretty soon here, we will be finding and staying in Winter Soldier for a little while. As usual, I'd love to hear any thoughts you have, so please leave a review! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I will have something new for you lovelies very soon! **

**-C. **


	8. Chapter 8

Ariadne awoke to the feeling of warmth and a smell that wasn't quite her room; yet for waking up in a room that was not her own, she didn't feel concerned at all. She knew she had come to her best friend for comfort at some point in the night, but she couldn't remember why. Taking a moment, Ari tried to remember what had driven her to make her way into Steve's room last night. Then the flashes of images she had tried to forget came back. The nightmare.

It started out how all of the others do. The screams of her parents, the sounds that would haunt her until the day that she died. The knowledge that she hadn't done enough to save the two most important people in her lives. However, this time the dream had taken a new turn. It had flashed to the day that she had first met Steve. She was running out of the SHIELD headquarters in DC, as she was late for an important meeting. Not looking where she was going, she ran into what seemed to be a wall. As she bent down to pick up all of her scattered belongings from the collision, she looked up to see that it had in fact not been a wall. Instead, she was looking into the eyes of who would soon become the most important person in her life.

In the dream, the story continued how the actual day had. However, when she went to shake Steve's hand the way that she had on that fateful day, the sound of a gunshot rang out, and Steve slumped to the ground, bleeding out on the steps. As Ari bent down, frantic to save her best friend, the sound of the monster who had murdered her parents all those years ago echoed through her head. "You weren't enough to save them then, and you aren't enough to save him now. Stop pretending you're a hero, and remember that you aren't deserving of anyone loving you. You bring disaster with you. You have since you were 18 years old, and you will continue to until the day that you die."

At that, Ari had awoken in a cold sweat, tears silently streaming down her face. She knew that it was just a nightmare, but every part of it felt so real. She couldn't help but believe the words that echoed in her mind, and she knew that there was only one place where she could feel safe right then. So with that, she had grabbed her pillow, and made her way into Steve's bed, the tears only stopping once he had sleepily wrapped one arm over her waist and pulled her into his chest. No questions needed to be asked right then, which was one of her favorite things about him. They knew when they needed each other, and they knew that they would talk when they felt up to it.

As Ari rolled over that morning, getting ready to start her day, she noticed the heavy rain pouring outside of Steve's window. 'That's strange. We weren't supposed to be getting any storms this week,' she thought, preparing to pull herself out of bed. Just as she went to carefully remove herself from under Steve's arm, so as not to wake him, there was a massive flash of lightning and crash of thunder. At that, Steve bolted up, ready for action and breathing heavily. After all these years, any sound that could resemble an explosion still puts him on edge.

"Hun, it's just a thunderstorm. You're ok," Ari told Steve, rubbing one hand soothingly up and down his back. As Steve relaxed into her touch, confusion stained his expression.

"But we weren't supposed to be getting any storms…" He murmured, more to himself than to Ariadne. It was at that point that the realization hit them.

"THOR!" They exclaimed simultaneously, jumping out of bed, and rushing towards the elevator to find the newly arrived god.

As the team gathered around Thor in the living area, he was hammered with questions.

"What the hell happened in London?!"

"Want to destroy any other famous landmarks?!"

"How did you get back to earth this time?!"

"Who the fuck was the creepy elf dude?!"

"Barton, language!"

"ENOUGH!" Thor shouted, cutting off any remaining questions that could be coming his way. "I will explain it all to you midguardians, if you would just give me a moment to collect my thoughts."

"I was in London due to something called the Convergence. I believe some of you may be familiar with the concept," Thor started, looking to Banner to see if he understood the topic.

Banner took a moment to recall, then began, "It's legend, really. Nothing that we ever believed was possible, until Selvig and Foster came into the picture. But the stories say that there is a time when all 9 realms will line up, and there will be an easier way for them to be connected… but it's brief, and only occurs every few thousands of years."

"Yes, Dr. Banner is right. The convergence occurred last week, and one of the most dangerous beings in the 9 realms attempted to take advantage of it as they had once before. The Dark Elves."

"Wait, are we talking like Santa's elves, or like baking cookies in a tree elves? Cause neither seem to give off the 'take over the world' vibe to me," Tony commented, earning a sharp slap to the back of the head from Natasha.

"As I was saying," Thor continued, "The Dark Elves were thought to have been defeated by my father. We had no idea they could return. And with them, they brought a power much stronger than any one being could contain: the Aether. It is one of the six infinity stones, which are something that I will not trouble you with for now. Just know, that this stone is filled with great power, and if it were to fall into the wrong hands we would all be in grave danger. That is what occurred in London."

"Thor… You seem more… solemn than usual. What happened in the battle with the dark elves?" Ariadne asked, going to stand next to where the mighty warrior stood.

"As I said, the power of the Aether is more than any one being can handle, and the dark elves were willing to stop at nothing to get it. They would take down any that stood in their way, including my family. My mother and Loki were victims of their treachery."

"I'm so sorry, Thor. Please, tell us if there is anything that we can do for you while you are here," Ari, began.

"That brings me to my next point, dear Ariadne. I have spoken to my father, and I have denied my right to ascend to the throne. There is much more to be done in this realm for now, and I shall be staying for awhile. Loki may be gone, but he left many tricks behind that I believe could help us get to the bottom of the Infinity Stones."

The team seemed rather taken aback by this news, having not expected Thor to be returning to the team for any period of time, let alone an extended stay.

"Great, what did Reindeer Games screw us over with this time?" Stark questioned, slumping further into his spot on the couch.

"Stark…" Steve warned, giving Tony a sharp glare for speaking in such a way about Thor's recently deceased brother.

"No, no. Stark is right," Thor defended, "Loki may have been my brother, and he may have been working to redeem his wrongdoings in the end, but that does not diminish the mischief he accomplished while he was alive. I intend to find all that he left behind here, particularly his scepter."

"Well then," Clint commented, from his perch on the arm chair, "It looks like we've found one of our next missions."

**Hi, all! There we have it! The team is back together, at least for a little while! Next, we will be heading into Winter Soldier, and hanging out there for a bit. As always, let me know what you think in the reviews, and I will see you lovelies next time! **

**-C.**


	9. Chapter 9

The sun was shining as it began its rise into the day, and the fresh smell of morning air was lingering as Steve continued his jog around DC. It had been several weeks since Thor had made his return to the team, and Fury had assigned himself, Ariadne, and Natasha a few missions based out of Washington. They were not too keen on moving away from the team again, but Fury promised that it was not a permanent position. He just had some loose ends that needed to be tied up.

That was just the thing that was bothering Steve, though. Why would Fury decide to send three of his best to run errands for SHIELD? The thought had been bothering him ever since they had arrived in DC earlier that week, and so Steve had left the apartment that he and Ariadne were sharing early that morning to clear his head.

As Steve was jogging, he noticed a figure running up ahead. In order to do the polite thing and prevent any collisions, he called out his customary, "On your left!" as he ran by. He would continue to do so every time he passed this person, which turned out to be many, many times.

As Steve ended his run, he made his way over to where the man he had repeatedly passed was leaning against a tree.

"Dude, you just ran like 13 miles in 30 minutes!" the man exclaimed. From his attire, Steve could tell that he had some sort of military affiliation.

"I guess I got a late start," Steve shrugged in reply. Talking with the man for a few, Steve learned that his name was Sam Wilson, and that he was a former Air Force pararescueman. He now spent his time counseling soldiers suffering from PTSD, which was an incredibly valiant thing in Steve's book. As he was continuing his conversation with Sam, he heard a car engine pull up to the curb, and the sound of a familiar voice call out,

"Hey, boys, can you point me towards the Smithsonian? I'm here to pick up a fossil."

Bidding Sam goodbye, Steve got into the car, joining Nat and Ariadne on their way to their next SHIELD assignment.

"Aww, did you make a new friend at the park today, Steve?" Ari asked, earning a chuckle from Nat, and a smirk from Steve.

"I'm gonna have to stop letting you spend time with Ari, Romanoff, if you're going to influence her with your sarcasm and turn her against me," Steve joked.

"You know that I could never turn against you," Ari sincerely stated, sending Steve a wink that oddly enough sent shivers down his spine. What was happening with him lately?

They received their orders from Fury that day: rescue the occupants of this freighter. Ariadne would stay in the bird, analyzing the situation, and calling out any new tactical moves as Nat and Cap would go down and do the ground work. As they proceeded along with the mission, everything was going as planned, until suddenly, Steve had lost Natasha. What had started as a simple rescue mission was seemingly turned into a double mission, and he hadn't been told about it. Things were not adding up, and Steve was tired of the people he trusted letting him down. When he had approached Fury about it, he had been brushed off. Ari could sense his discomfort about the whole situation, and despite her suspicions of things being off, she tried to reassure him that Fury was just trying to do what he thought was best for all of them.

In order to get Steve's mind off of everything that had been going on, she suggested that they take the day off, just the two of them. So here they were, after a long day of exploring DC and updating Steve even further on all that he had missed, the inseparable duo was returning home. However, after arriving at their front door, Ari paused when going to put her keys in.

"Ari, what's wrong?" Steve asked, concern written all over his face.

"Steve… Did you leave the record player on?" Ari asked, already fearing what his answer would be.

Putting his finger to his lips telling Ari to stay quiet, he pulled her behind him, grabbing his shield as soon as they entered the apartment. Moving slowly and quietly, Steve checked around every corner, ensuring that he wasn't leading Ari into a dangerous situation. As they approached the living room, he saw the source of the noise. Fury was sitting in their apartment, having let himself in. Add it to the list of suspicious things he's done lately.

"Fury…" Steve started, preparing to give him a piece of his mind before Fury cut him off, making up some nonsense about being thrown out by his wife. Before he knew it, Fury was sliding his phone over to Steve and Ari with a warning about the apartment being bugged, and being unsure who he could trust any more. Steve had been right. Something wasn't right, and now he was kicking himself for dragging Ariadne into this. He wanted to keep her 1,000 miles away from the danger, and here he was bringing her directly into it.

"Miss Grace, you're awfully quiet tonight," Fury added to their verbal conversation, attempting not to cause suspicion to whoever may be listening.

"Yes, it was a long day. Steve really tired me out with how much he wanted to see. We can't all have the super soldier stamina," Ari joked, Fury and Steve adding a chuckle in as well for good measure.

Suddenly, their seemingly calm conversation ended, as gunshots rang out. Steve quickly grabbed his shield, and pulled Ariadne to the ground, covering her from any harm that could come her way. It wasn't until a moment later that he saw that Fury had been shot. As he leaned over the injured man, Fury slid something into Steve's hand. Pocketing what Fury had handed him, Steve yelled for Ari to call 911 and stay undercover before running after the shooter.

An hour later, Steve, Nat, and Ari stood in a hospital, watching as their leader hung onto his last breath, as the surgeons did everything they could to save him. The shooter had gotten away, but not before Steve led him on a merry chase. His speed matched Steve's own, and his metal arm left a mark on Steve, but the thing that took him back the most were his eyes… Steve had seen those eyes before. He just couldn't place his finger on when or where.

As he glanced back into the operating room, Fury suddenly flatlined. That was it. They called it. Their leader was gone, and now they were left wondering who to trust or what to do. As Nat left the room, Steve pulled the shaken up Ari into his arms, silently vowing to himself to do whatever he had to do to protect the most important thing in his life.

**Hi, all! Sorry this took me so long to get up. I was kind of struggling to figure out how I wanted to go about writing this storyline. I feel like there are a lot of important points within the Winter Soldier storyline that can play into Ari and Steve, but I don't want to bore you guys with like 20 chapters on it! I decided to do a sort of time jump thing within the chapters, and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. So please, let me know if you guys think that this works well! Your reviews are very much appreciated, and they really reassure me on what direction y'all want me to head in, and if you think anything needs improvement. I hope you all have a splendid weekend, and for those of you in the USA, have a patriotic 4th just as Cap would. :) **

**-C.**


	10. Chapter 10

Ariadne had gone to talk to Maria Hill, and Steve left to find Natasha. When he finally caught up to her, he cornered her. He knew that she had some idea of what was going on, and he was going to stop at nothing to get to the bottom of this.

"Romanoff, would you care to explain to me who the hell killed Fury?!" Steve asked, backing her into a wall leaving the assassin no room to escape.

"I don't know… Well, I have a hunch, but I can't be sure," she responded, intimidated by the intensity of Steve's stare.

"He's more of a legend, really. They call him the Winter Soldier. He only comes out when someone REALLY wants someone dead. I've seen him once. He came after an asset I was handling. I went to protect the asset, and he shot him… through me. He is not someone to be messed with," Natasha said, haunted by her experience with the killer.

"And why do we think someone wanted him to kill Fury?" Steve asked, none of this making any sense to him.

"That's the part that I don't understand. Did Fury say anything to you?" Natasha questioned.

"Nothing. Just that he didn't know who we could trust. And he handed me this," Steve said, as he pulled the USB drive out of his pocket.

"If Fury was willing to die for this, it must be important. We have to find out what's on it, on our own. Who knows who we can trust within SHIELD."

As Steve went to respond, Ari entered the room, and quickly noticed the two's close proximity.

"I can come back later," she murmured, turning to leave the seemingly intimate situation she had just walked in on.

"No, Ari! You're fine. Come here," Steve said, pulling his best friend into the hug that both of them needed after the night that they had been through.

As they continued their embrace, Steve's phone suddenly went off.

"I've been called in for a meeting at SHIELD tomorrow," he said, looking between Nat and Ari.

"Steve, are you sure that's such a good idea right now?" Ari asked, concern in her eyes for her best friend's well being.

"I've gotta go follow my marching orders," he said, as Nat nodded, exiting the room.

"Always the soldier," Ariadne smirked up at him. "Just… promise me that you'll be careful?" she said, putting a hand on his cheek.

"For you, always." He smiled back, subconsciously leaning into her touch.

The next day as he was jumping over the jet that was seemingly the 4th method of trying to kill him in the last 30 minutes, he knew that Ari would bring him back from the dead just to kill him again if he broke that promise about being safe. When he finally managed to escape the SHIELD headquarters, he immediately called Ariadne to ensure that they hadn't reached her yet.

"Hey! How'd your meeting go?" Ari answered.

"I need you to listen to me, Ari. They're after us. I don't know who, but someone within SHIELD has turned against us, and we need to get out. Call Nat, NOW. Have her bring the thumbdrive, and meet me out front in five minutes ready to go."

It didn't take more than that for Ari to grab both of their phone chargers and a few essentials, call Nat, and wait to go. In the past, the idea of picking up and running would have absolutely terrified her, but somehow having the comfort of Steve by her side let her know that she would be fine no matter what.

As Nat and Steve arrived, the three quickly sped off in Nat's car, working up a game plan along the way.

"Alright, so here's what we do. We need to get to somewhere that they can't trace the IP back to us and read what's on this thumbdrive. Any ideas, our lovely analyst?" Nat asks Ari.

"Go to the mall," Ariadne replied.

"Ari, now is hardly the time to go to a public place with everything that's-" Steve began.

"Steve, do you trust me?"

"Of course I do, it's just-"

"Then go with me on this. Nat, take us to the nearest mall. We can get into an Apple store and find out what's on that thumbdrive without it ever being traced back to our names,"

"I like the way you think," Nat smiled back at the younger agent, speeding off towards the nearest mall.

As soon as they were inside the Apple Store, freshly disguised thanks to Nat and her skills for speed shopping, Ari began quickly attempting to decode what was on the drive.

"It looks to be some sort of GPS coordinates…" Ari said, confused as to what it could mean.

"Write down the coordinates, we don't have much time before they track where the drive has been activated and get here," Nat said, keeping an eye out for any danger.

As Ari scribbled down the coordinates, they rushed out of the Apple store, only to find one of STRIKE's men on the lookout for them.

"Ok, here's what we need to do. We get to the parking lot, and we find ourselves a new ride and get the hell out of here and towards New Jersey, got it?" Nat asked.

As the other two silently nodded, they quickly made their way to the escalators, and were almost home free when the spotted a STRIKE agent on the opposite side of the escalator, about 10 seconds from catching them.

Quickly, Nat turned to Steve and whispered "Kiss me."

"What?!" Steve questioned, completely taken aback by the demand.

"Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable,"

And before Steve had any time to respond, he had been pulled in for a kiss. Nat had been right about it making people uncomfortable, as the STRIKE agent looked away without even bothering to observe their faces. However, he wasn't the only one that it had made uncomfortable. Seeing Steve kissing Natasha right in front of her, Ariadne couldn't help the sick feeling that came to the pit of her stomach. Surely she wasn't jealous, right? Of course not. Steve was just her best friend, and obviously Natasha was great, and after the close talking yesterday they clearly had something.

She was deadly quiet on the remainder of the walk to the parking lot, and as Steve reached out to grab her hand and ensure that she was ok, she couldn't help but brush him off and mutter something about hurrying to find a car.

Once they had finally chosen a truck to hotwire, Natasha told them that she was going to find Clint and see if he could tell them anything about what was happening. With that she wished them good luck in New Jersey, and told them that they would be catching up very soon.

The car ride to Jersey was filled with tension, as Ariadne pondered over how that kiss had made her feel. Meanwhile, Steve couldn't process why his best friend seemed so off. He assumed that the stress of this situation was just beginning to take its toll on her, and he couldn't help but feel responsible.

When they finally arrived at the location, it did not take Steve very long to realize where they were at. This was where it all started for him. This was when the boy became a man. This was where he met his first love. This was where he became who he is today.

"Steve… Isn't this-" Ari began.

"My old training camp," he cut her off, wandering through what used to be filled with his fellow soldiers, leaders, and Americans, now all long gone before him. Sensing how hard this was for him, Ari put aside all of her feelings about the earlier situation, and grabbed her best friend's hand, intertwining their fingers to show him that she was there for him.

As they walked further through the camp, something seemed odd to both of them.

"Steve. That's an ammunitions building,"

"That… that didn't used to be here,"

"Isn't it regulation not to have ammunitions this close to the barracks?" she questioned.

Looking down at his best friend with admiration, he pulled her along as he ran towards the building.

"I love the fact that you know that," Steve said, smiling down at Ari. It really has been a long day, because he could have sworn that he just saw her blush… but that wouldn't make any sense, would it?

As they entered the building, Ari once again had a brilliant moment of finding the secret compartment. When they entered, Steve was immediately drawn to a portrait hanging on the wall of Peggy. Coming to stand beside him, Ari put her hand on his shoulder.

"She was beautiful," she whispered.

"Yeah, she was," Steve responded, his voice getting caught in his throat.

As Ari reached up to straighten one of the picture frames, the wall suddenly opened, revealing a hidden elevator. Glancing at each other, they had an unspoken agreement that they had come this far, so they might as well continue. Upon arriving in the hidden basement, they found hundreds of old computer screens in what appeared to be a control room. Ariadne inserted the thumbdrive, and the system came to life. As a face appeared on the screen, Ari went to stand by Steve, leaning into him a bit for comfort.

"Zola…" Steve breathed. Ari had heard of this man from Steve when he was originally telling her of all that had happened in his past, but she couldn't comprehend how he was here, or how Hydra could still be in existence.

"Cut off one head, two more shall take its place!" the scientist cried out. As he continued talking, Ari could tell that something wasn't right. There was something more to this. Soon they discovered that they were about to be attacked. Going into action, Steve quickly found an old drain, and ran Ariadne to it as fast as he could, ensuring that he wasn't about to put her in danger once again. As they narrowly escaped the first explosion, Steve pulled her closer into his chest, protecting her from any falling debris. Despite her best effort to stay strong for him, every time another bomb fell, she flinched, burrowing the slightest bit more into Steve's chest in order to find the only comfort that they could in this situation. Steve held her to him as close as he could, praying that he hadn't made a mistake that would end in hurting his best girl.

**Hey, y'all! I really hope you liked this last chapter. It's been fun going into how Ari and Steve are feeling about everything. As always, please, let me know what you think in your reviews! Your opinions mean the world to me, and I just want to make you happy. :) The next chapter should be up in a week or so, as I'll be busy with my roommate coming to visit this week! Have a lovely week! **

**-C. **


	11. Chapter 11

Sam Wilson went through his kitchen, grabbing out the necessary things for breakfast.

"How do you want your eggs?" he yelled out to his unannounced visitor, who had shown up on his doorstep with no warning around 20 minutes ago.

"Poached, is fine," Natasha shouted back, reviewing the information she had received from her partner. She now knew that SHIELD was under an internal attack from Hydra, and there was nothing they could do about it at this point. Knowing that Steve and Ari would most likely come to Sam's place, she decided to show up first so that they could catch up on all that was happening.

Sure enough, less than 5 minutes later there was a knock at the door, and Sam was letting the two SHIELD agents into his home.

"Nat!" Ari shouted, relieved to see that her friend was alright, and running to give her a hug that the assassin would normally not accept. Under the circumstances, though, she hugged the young agent who had become one of her best friends.

"Agent Romanoff," Steve said, approaching the two girls. Both were clearly shaken up after what had occurred last night, and the two were clearly in need of some cleaning up. After recapping the information that both parties had come into, Nat suggested that they go change and take a few minutes to regroup. As the two began to walk in the direction that Sam had pointed them, Ariadne quickly turned around.

"Wait, Nat, we have to warn the rest of the team! They could be in danger!" Ari said, her concern for her team evident.

"Don't worry about that. Clint went back to the tower as soon as we split. They're aware of what's going on, and are under strict orders to lay low and stay safe. Now, we need to get going soon and figure out what our next move is. I've asked Sam to join us, as I think he has some skills that could come in handy," she glanced at the pilot, knowing that his job wasn't quite what Steve thought it had been.

As Ari walked out of the bathroom, running a towel through her hair to dry it, she saw Steve looking rather concerned as he sat on the bed.

"Hey, why the long face?" Ari questioned, sitting across from him.

"We're wanted fugitives, Ari. I've spent my whole life wanting to protect my country, and now my country is turned against me. And worse than that, I dragged you into it," Steve sighed.

"Steve, we're wanted by a secret organization that is plotting to take over the world. I would hardly call that being on the wrong side of the law," she reassured him, moving to sit next to him.

"This is only going to get more dangerous from here. I don't want to drag you into that," Steve said, moving to pull her closer to him.

"Do you remember the first day that we met?" she asks, looking up at her captain.

"Of course I do. You slammed into me on the SHIELD steps, and then instead of going to our meetings we went to get a coffee instead," Steve responded, smiling back at the memory.

"And do you remember what I told you, only an hour into knowing you?" Ari said, chuckling at the thought of her forwardness that day.

"I haven't had anyone close to me in a really long time, but Steve Rogers, I think you're about to change that," Steve quoted.

"And you did. And in that, I agreed to stick with you no matter what. So I'm sticking with you now, whether you like it or not. Because that's what you do for someone that means the world to you," Ari admitted, smiling up to him, and loving the fact that he was looking at her with such admiration and love.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt such a sweet moment, but Nat tracked down the senator, and we need to go," Sam interrupted. And with that, the two stood up, and walked out of the room ready to face whatever was about to come their way.

Everything had gone as planned, and the team was simply driving down the freeway until it hit them. Or rather, he hit him. The Winter Soldier was back, and he was stopping at nothing to get rid of his next mark. As Falcon quickly got out of the way and prepared to fight, Nat ran to distract the assassin, giving Steve and Ari enough time to get out of harm's way. Pulling her closer at the base of the overpass, he looked into the eyes of his best friend.

"Stay here, and stay hidden. Call 911, and don't come after me. I'll come get you when we are done, but don't do anything that could get yourself injured or worse, got it?!" he frantically shouted to Ari. As she nodded her head in agreement, he kissed her on the forehead and ran off to deal with this new enemy.

Just 20 minutes later, though, everything had changed. Nat had been shot, and he was standing face to face with his former best friend. How?! How was Bucky alive after all this time, and how was he standing here trying to kill his best friend?! As Bucky went to attack Steve again, he was suddenly taken down. Steve looked over at the deliverer of the shot that had taken down Bucky, and saw his current best friend. Ari quickly dropped the weapon and rushed to Steve's side.

"I thought I told you to stay safe?!" Steve shouted, just relieved that she was alright.

"And I thought I told you that I'm sticking with you no matter what?!" She countered.

"As sweet as this all is, I'm afraid you're going to be sticking with each other on your way to your deaths," came the voice of Rumlow, the commander of STRIKE. They had finally been captured, and as they were thrown into the back of the van, they feared that there was no way out of this one.

The drive was a silent one, as the team was fairly shaken up. Sam was looking after Nat, ensuring that she wasn't about to pass out from the shot she had taken. Steve was sitting in shock that his Bucky had come back alive after all these years, and Ari was sitting silently trying to comfort her grieving and confused best friend. Steve just kept sitting there, staring at the floor, and muttering "Bucky," under his breath. Each time that he did, Ari would squeeze his hand, and get as close to him as she possibly could under their restraints.

A moment later, Nat began to slump in her chair, as her eyes drifted shut.

"Nat, stay with us. Natasha! Natasha!" Sam shouted, shaking Nat's shoulders in an attempt to keep her from slipping into unconsciousness.

"We need to get her to a doctor, now!" he yelled at their captors, getting more anxious by the second for his newfound team member and friend.

In order to keep them in line, one of the guards raised his cattle prod, and gave it a jolt, signaling that he was not afraid to use it on them. However, he quickly shocked the team as he instead turned on his fellow guard. Even more surprising, he then revealed himself (or rather herself) to be none other than Agent Maria Hill.

"Alright, we have to act fast if this is going to work. Follow me," she said, beginning to solder a hole in the bottom of the vehicle. As they followed Hill to what appeared to be a secret SHIELD base, the team became more confused as to what was happening. Entering the facility, Sam began yelling orders to get Natasha into a medical bay.

"Wait!" Hill interrupted, "She's going to want to see him, first."

Following where Agent Hill was walking, Ari glanced up at Steve and silently questioned "him?"

"Well it's about damn time," came the voice, as they entered the room of the mystery man.

"Fury," Steve stated, shock evident in his voice.

"You didn't think they would get rid of me that easily, did you?" Fury chuckled, enjoying the absolutely stunned expressions on the groups' faces. "Had to fake my own death in order to keep them from coming after me more. Ever since then, Hill and I have been down here observing, and figuring out our next move. Now that you're here, we can proceed with the plan."

"What plan, sir?" Steve asked, moving closer to Fury with Ari at his side, while Sam and Agent Hill took Natasha to be cared for.

"We are going after the hellicarriers. Alexander Pierce plans to launch a global attack with them, and I'm afraid we just can't let him have all his fun without us. I figure he's gonna have an old friend of yours there, Cap, so we are going to need to pull out all the stops. I'm assuming that you're all in? I need the Falcon to run air control, with you in the hellicarriers itself, Rogers. Agent Romanoff will be inside the building with myself, and Miss Grace, I'd like you to come up with our tactical plan and run analysis from the outside. However, if things start to go south, I'm going to need you to come in on the ground as well. Do you two understand your roles in this?"

As Ari went to nod her head and give her agreement, Steve interrupted her, putting a hand on her arm.

"I'm going to need to take a moment outside with Ariadne, sir." Steve said, while pulling Ari from the room.

"Steve, what was that all about? I was about to ask Fury for the details of the mission so that I can start coming up with a detailed plan!" Ari argued, confused by Steve's actions.

"I'm not letting you go in there. You can plan from here, but then you're staying here. I'm not putting you remotely close to the action. You've been in harm's way enough this past week."

"Steve, I'm not a child. You can't just tell me what to do! You're a soldier, and you understand the importance of following orders. Well, in a way, I am too! I've been a part of SHIELD for 8 years now, and I will continue to trust and follow Fury however I have to. This is my job. It's my duty, and I'm going to do it. End of discussion," Ari said, ensuring that Steve had no room to fight her on it. As he looked down into the eyes of his best friend, he saw just how fired up and passionate she was about finishing this job. Knowing that he couldn't argue with her, he sighed.

"Fine. But you will keep in constant contact with me, got it? I'm most likely going to have to face… He's going to be there. And I can't deal with _him_ if I'm focused on your safety first and foremost," he said, while pulling her closer.

"I'll be there in your ear the whole time, Steve. I promise." Knowing how hard this all was for him, and with the recent reappearance of Bucky, she knew that her next words would mean even more to him.

"I'm with you til the end of the line," Ari stated softly, pulling her Steve into a hug, and feeling the soft exhale from the frustrated breath he had been holding tickle her neck.

"If there's even a slight chance of you being on the ground, you're gonna have to make me a promise," he said, not pulling away from the hug while talking.

"Of course. What's up?"

"We spend the next 3 days training you for any battle you may have to enter. I'm not sending my best girl in as a sitting duck."

Smiling at the concern he always expressed for her well-being, she pulled him even closer, if that was possible.

"Yes, sir."

**Hey, y'all! Here it is! We are getting close to the end of CAWS. As always, please, let me know what you think in the reviews. Your opinion means the world to me, and I'd love to hear from you! I'll have more up soon! Have a fantastic week! :) **

**-C. **


	12. Chapter 12

Ari was hard at work in the lab. She was frantically working on the plan that would save not only her best friend, but also the world. As she ran the numbers on her calculations for what seemed like the hundredth time, she heard footsteps entering her lab. She didn't bother turning around to see who it was, as she just assumed it would be Steve or Nat coming to check up on her. As she continued running her plan through any possible situation, she felt hands grab her shoulders from behind. Instinct kicked in, and she quickly turned around, pushing the hands of her attacker from her shoulder, and combatting any possible advances with a swift sweep of the legs. As she looked at who the would-be assailant was, she laughed at the fact that she had just taken down her best friend.

"Well, I guess that training has been working, then…" Steve said, accepting the hand that Ari held out to him as he stood up off of the ground. "How's the plan coming?"

"I've run everything so many times. I feel like it will work, but I'm still nervous…" Ari trailed off, not wanting to finish what she was nervous about.

"Ariadne, look at me. I'll be fine. We need to do this for the sake of millions of people out there, and I have complete faith in you that you wouldn't let me go in there without a solid plan. So have a little faith in me that I'll get out of there alive," Steve told her, while placing an arm around his best friend in order to reassure her that he wasn't going anywhere.

"Now come on," he continued, pulling her towards the main area of their complex. "Fury's dying to know what we are doing."

A day later, they were setting Ariadne's plan into action. Steve and Sam were going to be heading straight towards the battle, as they went to the hellicarriers in order to stop their destruction. Natasha would be going on the inside of SHIELD's headquarters, while Fury and Ariadne would be remaining on a helicopter that was circling near by. From here, they would be able to troubleshoot any problems the team came across, and have eyes on everyone at all times. It was their mobile hub, and at the moment it was the closest thing they had to a stable base. As Steve and Sam prepared to leave the helicopter and make their way into the heat of things, Ari was double checking all of Steve's equipment, ensuring that nothing could malfunction.

"Ok, so when you get onto the hellicarrier, remember the control panel is in the bottom level in the dead center. You're probably going to have to fight your way to them, but don't forget that you have Sam as backup. If anything starts going too terribly wrong, you know that you can just say something over the radio, and Fury and I can get in there right away to get you. Just don't get too far in over your head, ok? Oh! And while you are putting the reader cards into the control panel, don't forget that they have to go into all three hellicarriers, because otherwise it won't work and this will all be for noth—"

"Ari, breathe," Steve interrupted her, laughing at her habit of speaking a mile an hour when she was nervous. "We've gone over the plan so many times that I could recite it in my sleep. Everything will be fine, I promise. I'll come back out of this in one piece, and then we can finally go home."

Ari had tears in her eyes as she prepared herself to send her best friend into battle. She was having a really hard time knowing what he was about to face, and the fact that she couldn't be there by his side.

"He's gonna be in there, you know. Are you going to be ok if you have to face him again?" Ariadne asked quietly, keeping this moment of honesty between just the two of them.

"I guess we're about to find out," Steve sighed, as he saw Sam waiting for him to go. Pulling Ariadne into one last hug that neither one of them wanted to pull away from, he squeezed her hand, and walked towards the door of the copter, pulling the straps on his parachute tighter. With a salute to his best friend, he smiled and simply stated, "See you on the other side," before stepping out of the safety and into the fray.

It was less than a half hour later when Ari's worst fear came true. Steve had found Bucky, and had gotten himself into a situation that he was going to have a hard time getting out of. _'Damn him and his loyalty'_, she thought to herself, as she was forced to sit and listen to her best friend going through hell in there. Everything around her seemed to blur by, as all she could focus on was the sound of her Steve in pain, both physically and emotionally. It wasn't until she heard Director Fury's voice yelling her name that she was able to pull out of her reverie.

"Agent Grace, the hellicarriers are going down. We need to get Mr. Wilson out of that building before it takes him down with them," he stated, gesturing towards the destruction occurring outside of where they had temporarily landed to pick up Natasha.

"Wait, Steve is still in the hellicarrier! Steve! Steve, can you hear me?! Steve, come on, if you can hear us through your com, answer us. Tell us where you are, and we will come and get you. Steve…" Ari frantically yelled into her intercom, searching for some way to rescue him. As soon as they had Sam safely in the helicopter, they quickly changed their path to search for where Steve may have gone down. The whole time, Ari couldn't help the sinking feeling she had in the pit of her stomach from the thought of losing him. She wasn't there for him, and now it could be too late. As Natasha flew them closer to the tree line, Ari spotted him.

"Nat, he's there! He's on the sand by those trees!"

They landed as quickly as possible, and the helicopter wasn't even fully on the ground when Ari jumped out, running to her best friend as fast as her legs would carry her. Collapsing onto the ground beside him, Ari kneeled over him, looking for where he was injured, and checking for signs of life.

"Steve, it's me. It's Ari. I'm here. I'm right here, Steve. You can't leave, ok? You have to come back to us. You're the strongest person I know, so you can get through this. I know that you can. You have to, because without you, I can't get through any of this…" Ari said, each word tearing her down as she realized that she may be losing the most important person in her life today. "You're not allowed to leave me, you got that?! As a higher rank agent of SHIELD than you are, that's an order. And we both know how you feel about disobeying orders," Ariadne was beginning to trail off, as the gravity of everything began to hit her like a ton of bricks. "Steve…. You're the best person I know. You're my rock. I can't do this without you. There's so much I haven't told you, and… just, please be ok. You can't leave me like everyone else… Just, please be ok." Ari gasped through her tears, as Director Fury and Sam began to carry Steve to the helicopter, and to the nearest medical facility in an attempt to save their team member.

As Steve woke up, he opened his eyes to the sound of beeping, and fluorescent lights, the familiar sounds of his best friend's indie music quietly playing in the background. As he looked around, he realized that his conversation with Bucky had indeed landed him in the hospital. Wondering how long he had been in here, he went to move his right hand, only to realize that it was being weighed down by something… or rather someone. Ari was bent over his bed, her hand grasping his, as she slept from the chair she had pulled up beside his bedside. Not wanting to disturb her, he left his hand in hers, and used his left hand to brush some hair out of her face. This was enough to wake her, though, and it took her a moment to recall her surroundings. As she glanced up at Steve, she gasped in the realization that he was awake.

"God, I was so scared!" Ari exclaimed, pulling her best friend into as tight of a hug as she could manage given the circumstances. Steve cringed slightly, but wasn't about to pull away based upon the relief both were experiencing at the sight of the other one alive and well.

"How long have I been out for?" Steve asked.

"About 3 days," she replied, sitting on the edge of his bed. "We found you on the beach. I think Bucky must have pulled you out…" she trailed off, unsure if he would want to talk about it just yet. Steve took a moment to rub his thumb across her hand, feeling incredibly grateful to have her in his life.

"And what about SHIELD? I mean, HYDRA? I mean, I don't know what I mean anymore," Steve sighed.

"We took them down. For now. But now, we don't really have a group to work for. Everything is really up in the air on who we can trust, and I'm pretty sure it can be considered unemployment when your employer suddenly turns into a secret 1940s Nazi endorsing agency." She chuckled.

"So, where do we go from here?" he asked, unsure where this left any of them.

"Well, I do know a couple of people in New York that I _think _aren't really into that whole Hydra thing. They may be crazy, but they're a whole different kind of crazy. I figured we could head home for a little while. Regroup. Stick together, and see what we can do about fixing things."

Steve nodded his head in agreement with that plan.

"Steve," Ari began, unsure where to start, "I hope you don't mind, but I kind of sent Sam out on a mission for you. For us, really…" Steve raised his eyebrows at her, questioning if she would continue her statement. "I asked him to find Bucky. I know it was probably not my place, but there's some part of him still in there. If there wasn't, we would've been pulling you out of the lake instead of the dry land that he took you to. I think that it's worth it to try to rebuild that bridge…" she trailed off, hoping that Steve wouldn't be angry with her decision. Instead, Steve pulled her into a hug filled with admiration and thanks.

"What would I do without you, Ariadne Grace?"

"Well, I told you. I'm with you til the end of the line. So I guess you won't have to find out."

**There we have it, folks! We have reached the end of Winter Soldier! Next, we get to see how the team is reacting to the absence of SHIELD! As usual, please, let me know what you're thinking of everything! I'd love any feedback you have going forward, and I really hope that you all review with a word or two letting me know how you're feeling. Your opinions mean the world to me! As usual, I hope that you have a fantastic week! I'll have more for you very soon! :)**

**-C. **


	13. Chapter 13

Clint walked out of the elevator as the doors slid open, revealing the common area of Avengers Tower. As he carried the load of laundry towards the couch for folding, he joined his best friend who was still recovering from all that she had recently gone through.

"How you holding up, Nat?" he asked, setting the laundry basket down on the table, and sitting next to her on the couch in front of the television.

"Oh, you know. Getting shot and tasing yourself all within 48 hours is always a fun thing to recover from," she muttered sarcastically. Natasha had returned to the tower about a week ago, informing the others of everything that had gone on. Fury had decided to go off of the grid for a while in order to regroup and figure out where this left the world. Ari had stayed with Steve while he was in the hospital, and they had just returned to the tower the day before. Sam was off in search of Bucky, and the rest of the team were left wondering how the fall of their employer and everything they had come to believe in would affect them.

"Mr. Barton, Miss Romanoff, I am sorry to interrupt, but Mr. Stark has requested that the team gather in the conference room," JARVIS voiced through his speaker system.

As Nat and Clint went towards their meeting, they saw that Ari was helping Steve walk along to the room. He was starting to regain all of his movements, but there was still a slight limp, as well as the pain coming from his shoulder that were causing things to be more difficult than he would like to admit. For the super soldier, this hit had taken him down hard. As the two pairs reached the door, they shared a small smile amongst each other, acknowledging how glad they were to be back together.

Soon, the whole team had gathered, and was left wondering why Stark had called them all here.

"Well, as you all know, this changes everything. We don't know who to follow. We don't know who the bad guys are and who we can trust. We don't even know if the Avengers are technically a thing anymore. All we know is that there is still a world out there that needs saving, and we are the only ones that know how to do it," Tony said, as he sat down between Pepper and Bruce.

"Stark, we don't even know if we are fighting on the right side of history anymore. For all we know, we've been unknowingly doing HYDRA's bidding for years…" Steve began.

"Rogers is right. How do we know that by continuing to meddle we will not continue to make things even worse?" Thor added, "I've been on this planet with nothing but pure intentions, and yet each time I have left things in catastrophe. I cannot continue destroying the things that I love because we have a hunch."

The others nodded in agreement, as they silently sat in the realization that they were completely lost. Clint and Natasha had never known anything but being soldiers. Now, everything they were taught, everything that they were trained to believe in was coming crashing down. Bruce had finally found a way to redeem himself from his years of darkness and rage, and now he was slowly going to slip back into that without anything to believe in. Thor didn't have the slightest idea of how to fix his brother's mistakes, and felt as though he was just making them worse. Steve had spent his whole life working towards the greater good, and now he didn't know if he had ever done good at all. Ari had spent the last 10 years of her life as a SHIELD agent, taking in the team as her own family. She started in SHIELD after she lost her parents, when her uncle had offered to take her in; but she had even lost him along the way. Now, this team sitting in front of her was truly all that she had left. Tony couldn't fathom that once again, he had landed himself in a place where all of the good that he had tried to do had come crashing down around him instead. It was as though they had all taken two steps backwards when they were trying to make a giant leap forward.

"Tony is right," Ari mumbled. At the confused looks of her teammates, she continued. "HYDRA is out there. Bad people are out there. That's not gonna change whether we continue to fight, or stay out of it. But we can at least try to do something about it. No, we don't know who to follow anymore. No, we don't know who we can believe in. But we do know that we can believe in each other. We're the Avengers, for God's sake! This is what we were trained to do. We were trained to take care of people for the greater good. Do we really need someone to tell us what that greater good is? Cause I don't know about you guys, but I think we can do a pretty damn good job at figuring that part out for ourselves."

"I, personally, know that I am _excellent_ at acting on my own accord and not following any orders. I actually prefer it," Tony responded.

Steve looked up at his best friend, realizing how hard this would be on all of them, but also knowing that if anyone could do it, then it was their team combined who could.

"Ari's got a point. We're all the world has left, now. We can't leave them scrambling. The only people that we can trust are in this room, but that's just going to have to be good enough," Steve started.

"So what does this mean?" Bruce asked, waiting for his orders from the Captain.

Standing up to respond to Banner and his team, Steve took one glance at each of them, reaffirming his decision.

"We do what we do best. We Avenge. Together."

**Hi, all! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next we will be moving into Ultron! As always, please let me know what you're thinking in the reviews! I'll have more up for you soon, and I hope that you have a great weekend. :) **

**-C.**


	14. Chapter 14

A little over two months later, the team found themselves back at Avengers Tower. They had just completed the mission of taking down yet another HYDRA safehouse, this time in Sokovia. This accomplishment had been marked even greater than the previous, though. Here, they had finally come across Loki's scepter. The mission had not been without its losses, however, as Clint had come back holding on to his life with a giant chunk of his torso missing.

As Ariadne stood on the balcony overlooking New York City, she thought of the gravity of today, and the gravity of everything that they had accomplished since that day in Washington DC. As she tuned out the sounds of the party occurring inside, she also managed to tune out the sound of the door swinging open, another figure moving to join her in the dark night.

"The party's inside, you know."

Ari sighed in response, leaning into her best friend's protective arms as he wrapped them around her.

"I know," she whispered, "I just can't help thinking about today. We almost lost one of us. We almost…. That could've been you, Steve."

Steve turned his best friend towards him, forcing her to look him in the eyes.

"It could've been, but it wasn't. And Barton's fine. We got him out, as a team. And we are going to continue to get each other out as a team," he said as he pulled her into a hug. "You know that I won't let anything happen to you," he breathed into her hair.

"I suppose you're right," she sighed. "I guess I just overanalyze," Ari smirked up at him.

"That's what I love the most about my lovely analyst. Now come on, let's go enjoy the rest of Stark's party. We can count how many times he and Thor try to one up each other," he laughed, swinging an arm around her shoulders as they walked inside.

As the party wound down, the residents of Avenger's Tower found themselves gathered in the common area, enjoying a laugh to themselves, and relishing in their victory.

"Come on man, it's a trick!" Barton laughed, as they all discussed who could 'be so worthy' as to possess the power of Thor's hammer.

"Please, be my guest," Thor gestured, welcoming whoever dared to try to lift the hammer.

Ariadne sat back in her position on the couch between the god and the super soldier, as they enjoyed the show of the Avengers attempting to lift mjolnir. When it came time for Steve to try, Ari could have sworn that he had made it move the slightest of bits… and judging by the expression on Thor's face, he seemed to have noticed as well. As Steve came and sat back on the couch, he moved his arm around Ari, pulling her into his side. As she moved as close to him as she could, Ariadne couldn't help but notice the smirks that Maria and Nat were sending towards her and Steve. She made a mental note to ask them about it later. Pulling her attention towards the weight moving off of the couch, she noticed Thor standing to take control of his own hammer.

"You're all not worthy," he told the group. It was then that the high-pitched, metallic noise of a robot rang through the air.

"How could any of you be worthy?" the voice echoed through the room.

"Stark," Steve warned, standing from his seat on the couch, and pulling Ari protectively behind him.

"JARVIS, come on buddy, we've got a rogue bot here," Stark began.

"Who sent you?" Rogers questioned.

"_A warm light for all mankind." _Tony's voice rang through the air, recorded by the robot earlier.

"Ultron," breathed Bruce, realizing their mistake.

As the conversation went on, Ari slipped her hand into Steve's reassuring him that she would remain by his side. Keeping her hand in his, she moved slowly to the side, grabbing her tablet off the table and attempting to use her tech skills to find a backdoor into the system to shut down the rogue bot. Her attempts were futile, though, as Ultron was quicker to the punch than she.

"Peace begins with your extinction!" he exclaimed, sending the team into action as more rogue bots flew at them.

Steve's first instinct was to grab Ari, and hide them behind the flipped table. However, the rogue bot flew at them, knocking the duo into the wall behind them. As Steve and Ari rolled to a stop, he began yelling orders at her.

"Go, hide behind the pool table, and stay hidden until this is over!" he shouted, urging her with his look to listen to him for once. Nodding at her best friend who was lying beside her, she kissed him on the cheek, and then made a run for it. As Ari continued to watch the situation from her hiding place, she was the first to see Steve be grabbed, as he was pulled into the air by one of Ultron's drones. Spotting his shield on the ground a few yards ahead of her, Ari ran to it, dodging falling debris around her.

"Steve!" she yelled, tossing his shield to him. As soon as he had killed the bot and fallen to the ground, she ran over to check for any major injuries.

"Well, that was overly dramatic," Ultron quipped. A moment later, he was silenced by Thor, but not for the last time, they feared.

"Is everyone alright?" Rhodey questioned, climbing up from where he had been thrown at the beginning of the battle.

"I think everyone is good," Banner started.

"Thor, follow Ultron. See if you can track where he is going with the scepter," Rogers ordered. With a nod, the god raised his hammer and flew off to attempt to regain the Asgardian prince's magic.

As the rest of the team gathered in the lab in order to help Bruce, Tony, and Ari trace Ultron's cyber signature, they couldn't help but wonder how he got started in the first place. As Stark explained his and Banner's intentions, he suddenly began to laugh.

"I'm sorry, is this not funny? It really isn't, right?" he trailed off, laughing again. Sensing the anger rising in Steve, Ari walked away from her computer and put a hand on his shoulder.

"We need to follow him," Ari started.

"Bruce, can we trace his signature on anything?" Natasha asked.

"He wiped all of our files. Our system is completely down, and we have no information on him," Bruce sadly responded.

"We do have some information on him…" Clint noted, pointing out the boxes of paper files.

"And if we do find him, what do you suggest we do then?" Stark asked. "How are we supposed to take him on?"

"Together," Steve commented, realizing that now was more important than ever for the team to rely on each other.

As the team went to their separate tasks and floors to clean up and begin the chase, Ari returned to her and Steve's floor to grab all of her tools that could help in the analysis. As she was going through her desk, she heard her door open and the familiar smell and sound of her Steve entered her room. As he walked up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against him.

"We're gonna find him, Steve," Ari said, turning around in his arms in order to look him in the eyes. Sensing the anxiety he was holding, she ran her fingers through his hair.

"I know we will," he sighed. "That's what scares me."

**Hi, all! Here we have it! The start of AoU! Be sure to let me know what you're thinking of everything! Your opinions really do mean the world to me. :) Next we will have our first big encounter with Scarlet Witch, and we will get to see how the team handles their worst nightmares! I hope you all have a splendid start to your week, and I'll have more up soon! **

**-C.**


	15. Chapter 15

Ari was fast asleep on her bed, files spread around her with her desktop and laptop both running analytics on possible locations of Ultron. She had been up all night trying to find any lead that she could, and had finally submitted to her fatigue about an hour before now. Steve entered her room slowly, realizing how late she had been up working. He hesitated before moving towards her, considering letting her sleep and coming back later. But he knew that if they left to follow their location on Ultron without her, he would have hell to pay.

Approaching her bedside, Steve carefully moved her laptop off of her bed, and sat down next to her. He brushed the fallen hair out of her face, leaning closer to her.

"Ari," he whispered, taking a moment to enjoy how his voice had caused a small smile to appear on her face. "Sweetheart, we found him. We found Ultron."

At the sound of Ultron's name, Ari stirred fully from her sleeping state. Jumping up, she began preparing to go.

"When do we leave?! Where is he?! What do we need to do?!" she asked, rushing to grab her belongings.

"Hey, you just woke up. Calm down, and come sit for a second. I want to lay down some ground rules," Steve said, pulling his best friend by the hand back down onto her bed. Setting next to her, he sighed, not releasing her hand.

"If you come with us," he began, stopping to take in the expectant look in her eyes. "_When_ you come with us," Steve sighed, "You have to promise me that you will stay in the quinjet with Banner. I'm not going to risk you getting hurt again, got it?"

"Alright, as long as I'm on the comms with you, though. I get to be informed of what's happening at all times. Deal?" Ari responded, holding her free hand out to shake with Steve's.

Pulling her in for a hug, Steve whispered, "Deal."

So this was how 6 hours later, Ari found herself pacing in the quinjet, listening to a battle raging on inside.

"Steve, please let me know that you're alright!" Ari pleaded into her comm, for what seemed like the 100th time.

"Ariadne, I'm sure they'll be alright. Cap knows how to handle himself in this sort of situation," Bruce reassured her, trying to calm the fears of his team member.

"He's not answering, Bruce. He promised he would keep me updated and he's not answering. I have to go do something about it!" she announced, quickly grabbing any weapons she could find, and preparing herself to go in and help her super soldier.

"Ari, I really don't think that's a good id—" Bruce started, only to stop himself when he saw the determined look in her eyes.

"I have to go after him, Bruce. I have to be there for him. You stay here. If we need you, I will call for a code green, alright?" she asked, preparing to exit the quinjet.

"Stay safe in there."

With a nod, Ari ran out of the quinjet and towards the ship her team had entered minutes before. Battling her way through the Wakandans, Ari spotted Steve struggling with one of the enhanced enemies on the floor below.

"Don't worry, Rogers. I'm coming to help—" Ari began, before her vision suddenly became blurred. Everything around her seemed to be slipping from reality, and her setting seemed to be changing before her very eyes. The already dim ship seemed to become even darker, as the rusty walls soon replaced themselves with the brick walls of an alley way.

As she turned around, she saw her mother and father on the ground, slowly bleeding out. As she rushed to their sides, she did everything that she could to keep them from leaving her. She was quickly pushed aside by a dark figure. His voice echoed through her ears,

"You were too late. You can't save them now. You can't save yourself, either. You have too much darkness in your past," he growled at her, pushing her into the damp wall of the alley.

"I have more of a chance of escaping hell than you do," Ari spat back.

"The daughter of a con man and a thief. How could you ever dream of having a chance in the world? Your parents had their debts set, and now they've been paid! But I think I might take a pretty little thing like you along as a bonus," he sneered, leaning in so close that Ari could feel his warm, rotting breath on her neck.

Suddenly, the scene changed and she was no longer in the alleyway. She found herself trapped in a basement, the only light coming from the cracks around the cellar door in the ceiling. She couldn't recall how long it had been since she had lost her parents, or how long she had been tied up in this monster's twisted hell hole. She had seen the other girls come and go. She knew what her fate would be. The only thing that she didn't know was why her inevitable end was being prolonged.

From above the cellar door, the sounds of voices could be heard. One in particular seemed familiar to Ari… but this voice was not familiar in a menacing way. Rather, it brought back pleasant memories to her childhood. Memories that made her feel safe. As the cellar door flew open, light flooded in, and Ariadne shied away from it, protecting her eyes from the sting. A moment later, she realized that her uncle was there. He was getting her out of this place, and he was vowing to protect her and stay by her side no matter what.

As the scene once again flashed forward in Ari's head, she suddenly found herself in a fluorescent SHIELD facility. She seemed to be on the hellicarrier, but how or when she had gotten there she had no idea. All she knew was that there was a deep pain in her heart as she realized what moment this was. This was the moment that she lost the only family she had left. As she saw the display before her, she realized that she was going to have to relive not being good enough once again. Loki had tricked her. He had captured her in his trap, and now her Uncle Phil was left to pay the price. As he came in to save his niece, he was blind sided, and Loki stabbed him from behind.

Ariadne let out a blood curdling scream, as she once again felt the pain of letting down the only protector she had left. Collapsing to the ground, sobs shook the entirety of her body and soul. She was inevitably alone again, and she didn't know how to prevent the pain she inflicted on those that she loved. Ari could faintly hear the noise of a familiar voice calling out to her in the background, but she had once again slipped away into the darkness of her nightmares, the 3 scenes flashing through her mind on replay; a fate that she feared she would never escape for as long as she lived.

When Steve had slipped out of his nightmare, he became aware of what Clint was telling him.

"Cap, it's Ari. The stupid witch got to her, and she's really out of it. She needs you."

That was all that Steve needed to hear before he leapt into action, making his way to his best friend as quickly as possible. Yes, the Scarlet Witch had messed with his mind as well, but right now he needed to be there for Ariadne. He knew what was plaguing her, and how hard she had worked to overcome her dark past. He was not going to let her slip into those ways again.

Reaching her, he leaned over where she was curled up on the ground. Pulling her into his arms, he whispered, "Ari, Ari I'm here. You're ok. None of this is real. You're safe," over and over, in an attempt to calm her.

As the nightmare began to subside, Steve pulled her into his grasp, and stood, carrying her to the safety of the quinjet. As they waited for Stark to return with Dr. Banner, Steve found a quiet corner, and sat he and Ari in it, refusing to release her from his grasp. Right now, the only thing holding him onto reality and out of that nightmare that had been inflicted on his mind was the warmth of his best friend. It was the only place he could feel at home right now, and he was not going to let that go.

When Ari began to realize what her surroundings were, she pulled her face further into Steve's warm chest, allowing the silent tears to stream from her eyes. Breathing in the comforting smell of him, she knew that it hadn't been real. Her mind had been played with, and she was merely the pawn in some sick game. For now, she tried to block those moments out of her mind, instead cherishing the fact that she was safe, she was with Steve, and for the time being, he was the only thing that mattered.

**Hi, all! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! We got a ****little****bit more background on Ari this time, so hopefully we're headed in a good direction! As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts, so leave a review! I'll have more soon, and I hope you have a splendid weekend!**

**-C. **


	16. Chapter 16

As Clint landed the quinjet in the middle of the field, the team assembled themselves, walking out to take in their surroundings. Only 3 of them had any understanding of where they were at, leaving the majority of the team under the thought that they were just at another ordinary safe house. After the turmoil that Scarlet Witch had caused, they wanted nothing more than some safe, quiet downtime. As they approached the front porch of the quaint farmhouse, their fogged minds did not seem to register the toys that were scattered about. It wasn't until Clint had entered that they realized something was unusual.

"Honey, I'm home!"

Upon these words, a woman in her mid 30's entered the room, rushing to Barton and kissing him as though she hadn't seen him in months. Steve immediately sent Ari a questioning look, but she didn't seem shocked at all. A moment later, the sound of little footsteps pattered down the stairs, and the group was joined by two little human beings.

"Daddy!" they exclaimed, running to meet their father. The confusion was clear amongst most of the team, but it became even greater as Clint's daughter began questioning him.

"Did you bring Auntie Nat and Auntie Ari with you?!"

As Nat pulled away from Bruce's side to greet her adopted niece and nephew, Ari gave a squeeze to Steve's hand and a look that promised that she would explain everything later before she, too, went to greet the young ones who had become a family of her own. As the Barton clan greeted their guests, Thor slipped away from the scene relatively unnoticed.

"Thor!" Steve shouted, exiting the house after his team member.

"That vision showed me questions that I need answered, and I can't do that here," Thor responded, before spinning Mjolnir and taking off in search of clarity. As Steve went to reenter the house, the voices from his own witch induced dream echoed through his head. Realizing he needed some fresh air, he instead chose to walk behind the house towards a small stream at the edge of the meadow.

As Ari realized that Steve was no longer inside, she went on a search for her clearly hurting best friend. The attack in Wakanda had left them both in a torn apart mental state, and she knew that they needed each other now more than ever. She found him sitting by the edge of the stream, shield lying next to him in the grass. As he ran his fingers through the water, she could see the thoughts running through his mind.

She knew that he had heard her approaching. He was too well trained not to have. However, she also knew that he would talk when he was ready. They both would. So rather than speaking, she came up behind Steve, wrapping her arms around his waist, and leaning her head against his shoulder blade. As they sat on that rock, Steve placed his hands over where hers were at on his chest, and breathed in the peaceful feeling. Ari enjoyed feeling his heart rate slow to a normal pace, and reveled in their small chance to be normal, even just for a moment.

"So, Auntie Ari, huh?" Steve questioned, breaking the silence, and turning his head to glance at her out of the corner of his eye.

"I've known for years. Barton was already a family guy when he joined SHIELD, and as the first analyst he ever worked with, he tended to be rather talkative back then," Ari began, moving to stretch out against the grass where Steve quickly joined her, "Uncle Phil was insistent that we all got to know each other, but I think that he just really wanted to have that feeling of family that he didn't have," she smiled at the memory. "Then, when he…. After Loki, Clint and Laura really took me in as a part of the family. They're like the siblings I never had. Them, Natasha, the kids… As dysfunctional as we all are, it works. But it killed me not to be able to tell you. To have you share in that family atmosphere with me…. But it wasn't my place to say anything. It had to come from Clint or not at all."

Steve grabbed Ariadne's hand, squeezing it in reassurance that he wasn't in any way upset with her for keeping this from him. It was for the Barton's protection, and he was grateful to them for giving his Ari the family that she needed. He knew that she missed hers more than words could ever say, but she also refused to admit that it was ever something she wanted back. He knew that that was exactly what she had been struggling with in the vision Scarlet Witch showed her. He knew exactly how she was feeling, and how all of her demons had returned in a single moment.

"What did she do to you today, Steve?" Ari questioned, turning towards him, and placing one hand on his chest where she played with his dog tags.

"She brought back the memories that I had from before I went into the ice… It all started with Peggy… Everything that could have been. Everything that I'll never have… Then, it went into more recent things. Instead of just losing her, I…. It made it seem like I had lost you, too. I don't know how, but I do know that it was my fault, and I couldn't do a damn thing about it. I woke up so scared because the first thing that I heard was Barton telling me that you were in trouble, and that you needed me… I thought that I had already let you down…"

Ari quickly sat up, looking Steve in the eyes.

"You didn't let me down, Steve. You never have, and you never will. I was a mess after everything today. You know that. I was a mess 3 years ago when I first met you, I was a mess when I lost Uncle Phil, and I was a mess reliving that pain through all these years. Today it all hit me again, and you were the first person that I needed and the first person that I had. So don't you dare ever think that you've let me down, got it?" she said, placing a gentle hand against his cheek. As he leaned into her touch, he couldn't help the feeling he had in the pit of his stomach as he realized just how much this girl was beginning to mean to him.

"I don't know how to do this without you, Steve," Ari admitted, realizing that she had come to fully rely on Steve. He was more than her best friend now. She was her rock, the only thing that kept her going through her days. She would be completely lost to her demons if it weren't for him.

As Steve sat up, he pulled Ari close to him, keeping one hand on her waist and placing the other against her cheek.

"I'm not leaving you anytime soon. I promise."

As he leaned in to place a kiss on Ari's forehead, they both had thoughts running through their head on how much things could be changing. In the face of danger, they were each other's first thought. Whenever anything went wrong, keeping the other safe was top priority. Whenever anything went well, they were the first person to share the good news with. Both were vaguely aware that their relationship was evolving, and neither were sure where that could lead them. But in that moment, they were too content to even care.

As the pair sat next to the stream, foreheads leaning against each other's and only a breath away, they were blissfully unaware of the conversation regarding them occurring at the Barton resident.

"So, how long until Steve and Ari admit that they're madly in love with each other?" Nat asked, smiling as she observed her team members through the window of the Barton's kitchen.

"Yeah, how long has that been going on?!" Laura questioned.

"How long have they known each other?" Natasha snarkily responded, noting the fact that the two have always had a connection.

"It's pretty apparent how they feel. Their connection reminds me of a certain other duo I know," Laura began.

"Who, you and Clint? They aren't quite at the, "madly in love with a family" stage… yet…"

"I was talking about you and Bruce."

At this, Natasha immediately went into her protective mode, as she had been trained to do whenever personal boundaries were being crossed.

"Come on, Nat. Don't clam up on me. I saw the way that you two were looking at each other. There's clearly something there," Laura began, reassuring the woman that she viewed as a sister.

"There is, but, it's complicated…" she led off.

"It's only as complicated as you make it. And for what it's worth? Clint makes things _extremely_ complicated, but it's always worth it."

While Laura left the kitchen, Nat was left to her thoughts in wondering if love was in the cards for her after all. Glancing out the window at her teammates walking towards the house hand in hand, she made the decision to go and find a certain doctor to have a much needed chat. Who knows? Maybe complicated could be a good thing.

**Hi, y'all! We're definitely moving along! Next up, we get our next encounter with Ultron, and with it a little bit more drama! As usual, I hope that you're enjoying everything, and I'd love to hear your feedback! 'Til next time!**

**-C.**


	17. Chapter 17

"Thank you for everything, Laur," Ari said, leaning in to give the older woman a hug. The team was packing up and getting ready to go after Ultron.

"Of course, honey. You know that you're always welcome here," Laura said, returning the hug to the girl who had become like family. "Before you go, I've gotta ask," she began, pulling away but keeping Ariadne within arm's length, "When are you and Steve gonna admit that you're crazy about each other?"

"The only crazy one here is you, Laura," Ari laughed, "Steve and I are just best friends. You know that…"

"I'm just saying. I've seen the way that you two look at each other, the way that you care for each other…. You're the world to him."

At this Ari glanced out the door at her best friend, wondering if what Laura was saying could actually be true. Sensing her reservation, Laura decided not to push it anymore.

"You're like Clint's little sister, so you're family to us. We just want what's best for you, and for you to be happy," Laura explained, throwing an arm around Ari's shoulder and walking her towards where the team was moving to the quinjet.

Smiling up at Laura, Ari had a great deal of love in her heart for the woman who had become the older sister that she never had.

"I know. And I am happy," she started, glancing at her goofy, yet loveable team of screw-ups that she had come to know and love, "I promise. Say goodbye to the kids for me. I'll call you soon," and with one last hug, Ari joined the rest of her team loading into the quinjet.

"You ready to go?" Steve asked, pulling her closer to him as she joined him at the entrance to the jet. Taking one look back at her Barton's and her only tie to a normal life, she smiled up at Steve.

"With you? Always."

2 hours later, they had dropped Stark off at the International Internet Hub in hopes of him shutting down Ultron, and the rest of the team continued on to where Ultron was suspected to be with Dr. Cho. As Steve prepared to drop down to the lab, Ari couldn't help the worried feeling she had in the pit of her stomach.

"Be careful out there, ok?" she said, placing a hand on his arm to pull his attention from where he was currently fastening his shield to his back.

"Of course. I promised my best girl that we'd go to the movies after all of this was over. I can't break another promise," he smiled back, pulling Ari in for a quick hug and kiss on the head. Once Steve had broken into the lab, they learned that Ultron had already escaped, taking with him some sort of new AI. As the team flew above in search of Ultron's escape route, Clint quickly spotted the truck from the lab. Steve had managed to jump onto the truck from an overpass, but Ariadne's heart nearly stopped when she saw Ultron shoot him off of the door. Once he had lost his shield, she went into full-on panic mode.

"Guys, we have to get down there! We have to save him!"

"Ari's right. Nat, go get on your new toy. We'll drop you in to help out Cap. Once you're there, see if you can get eyes on whatever package he's carrying."

With a nod to her partner and best friend, Natasha ran off to prepare herself for the battle. As soon as Nat reached the truck, however, she realized that there was little she could do to disrupt Ultron's new bot.

"Ari, I need you to get down here. There's nothing I can do with this thing. It's not my area of expertise!" Nat shouted, fighting off the bots within the truck. Hearing this, Steve immediately tensed up.

"NO! Ariadne is not leaving the safety of the quinjet!" Steve argued, blocking another attack from Ultron.

"Steve, Nat's right. I have to get in there and do what I can. This thing is bigger than all of us now," Ari responded, grabbing her gear from the quinjet, and waiting for Clint to lower it to a point that she could access the truck. Jumping from the hatch, Ari landed on the top of the semi, swinging herself into the bed of it. Natasha instantly looked relieved to see her teammate, and the two set forward to begin work on the cradle.

"Alright, I'm beginning encryption on it now. I was able to stop the data upload into him, but I can't break the connection with Ultron's server until I break the mainframe and passcode surrounding it. It should take me about twent—" Ari began, before she and Nat were instantly shaken, as the truck began flying.

"Ari, I don't think we even have two minutes!" Nat shouted, going into action. As she began cutting the straps that held the cradle into the truck, she yelled at Barton through her comm.

"Clint, I've got a package coming for you!"

Laughing at his best friend's antics, he questioned her, "How do you want me to receive it?"

"Umm, you might be afraid you asked," Natasha responded, placing her explosive charges in the truck itself, and motioning for Ari to grab onto the cradle with her.

"I lost track of Ultron! He set the train off track, and I have to take care of these civilians!" Steve's voice range through the comms.

It wasn't long until the majority of the team found out where Ultron was. As Ari and Nat slid out of the truck and into the safety of the quinjet, something grabbed onto Ari's ankle. Trying to hold onto the cradle, she kicked at whatever it was, realizing quickly that it was Ultron himself. As Clint and Nat were distracted with getting away from the exploding semi truck, Ultron grabbed Ariadne and flew off with her. Glancing behind her as the door to the quinjet closed, Natasha quickly realized that Ariadne was no longer behind her.

"Steve, we have the cradle, but—" Natasha began.

"Great! You have to take it to Stark, now!" he shouted, currently distracted by the train situation.

"Cap, we can't do that yet, we lost—" Clint argued, fear filling his features as he realized that one of his teammates was gone.

"Barton, we will figure out whatever we lost later! You have to get that to Stark!" Steve combatted, the train finally beginning to slow down.

"But—"

"NOW!" And with that, the team regretfully placed duty over personal feelings as they began to fly the cradle back to Stark.

Meanwhile on the ground, Steve was approaching the two mutants that had helped save the day.

"Did you get the cradle?" the one with the mind controlling abilities questioned.

"It's on its way to Stark," he responded.

"He can't be trusted!" she argued back, her eyes briefly flashing red with anger.

"Look, you don't know Stark.." Steve began, surprising even himself at his act of sticking up for Tony.

"Ultron can't tell the difference between saving the world and destroying it. Where do you think he gets that from?" the witch questioned, leaning over her gasping brother to ensure that he was alright.

Taking a moment to realize that taking the cradle straight to Stark may not have been the best idea, Steve quickly radioed to his team on the quinjet.

"Barton, come in."

"What's up, Cap?" Clint responded, anguish in his voice as he was torn up over the loss of Ari.

"Do you three think that we should be taking this to Stark? Can he be trusted?" Steve questioned.

"Steve, Stark's the best bet that we have right now. He and Banner will be able to do the best that they can to stop whatever this thing is from continuing…" Nat began.

"What about you, Ari? Can't you stop the programming for us?" Steve asked. At this, Clint and Natasha sent worried glances at each other, wondering how to break the news that his best friend was missing.

"Ari?" Steve asked, worry sinking into the pit of his stomach at the lack of response from his best friend.

"Cap…" Clint started, "She's gone. Ultron grabbed her right before we got out with the cradle."

And for a moment, Steve Roger's world went dark.


	18. Chapter 18

"Whatever you're doing here, Stark, I want you to put a stop to it. Now," Steve announced, as he entered Avengers Tower with the Maximoff twins.

"And what says I have to listen to you, Capsicle?" Stark began, "You know, I think that Bruce and I can do some real good here. We may have found a way to beat Ultron, and the fact that you can't see that, I just don't—"

With a flash, Pietro had dashed around the room, disconnecting the cords connected to the cradle.

"Go ahead. You were saying?" he gestured to Stark, his thick accent dripping with sarcasm.

Suddenly, the glass beneath Pietro's feet shattered, and he was sent crashing to the ground below.

"What, didn't see that coming?" Clint smirked at the teen. He had gotten really tired of these two causing trouble, and he was finally getting his chance to do something about it. As he joined the rest of his team in the lab space, he was ready to fight against these two and make up for what they had done to his team.

"Steve, we need to get this plugged back in. The upload needs to be completed, or it'll destabilize!" Bruce explained, trying to keep his calm in what was quickly becoming a heated situation.

"I don't care what it does, as long as it doesn't interfere with the mission anymore," Steve growled.

"And what mission is that, Cap? Cause right about now, I don't think that any of us know how to handle things. I sure as hell don't have any better ideas, do you?!" Tony responded, moving closer to Steve in order to get his point across.

"Look, Stark, your messes have caused enough issues for us so far, don't you think? So how about you just back off and let the rest of us handle it before you create any other murder bots?!" Steve argued, moving closer to Tony until they were standing face to face.

"I don't have to listen to you, old man. And what's with the sudden change of heart? Or should I say change of mind? Is that little witch in your head?! Huh?!" Tony yelled, turning his attention on Wanda instead. "What happened to us doing things together? As a team, or was that all just your usual 'rah, rah, go America' attitude coming out when your words actually meant shit?" Tony again yelled towards Steve.

"I'm with Stark here, Cap," Clint began, "Anything coming out of those two's mouths, I'm gonna have to disagree with. They've proven where their loyalty lies, and it certainly isn't with us. So are you about to get in our way too?"

The team's anger levels were swiftly rising, and you could tell that this argument wasn't going to end soon. However, unlike what everyone was expecting, Steve didn't argue back with Clint and Tony. Instead, he moved to the edge of the room, staring out at the city lights.

"I'm scared of what this thing might cause, Stark. I'm tired of these science experiments making the world worse instead of better. So many people are losing everything that matters to them…" Steve trailed off, his voice cracking with the last sentence.

"Clint told us about Ari, Steve…" Bruce began, moving towards his teammate. "We're doing everything we can to find her. Clint and I have every scanner up and running waiting for any sort of signal of where she's at, and Natasha's down there listening to every radio channel we have. We're gonna find her."

"And what if we don't?" Steve nearly whispered, looking at the man who had just placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Looking back down at the picture of he and Ari he kept in his pocket at all times, he turned back to address Tony.

"This whole thing caused me the loss of my best girl, Stark. I want to find Ari, and I want to save her and everyone else that we can. Can you guarantee me that this will help do it?"

Suddenly, before Stark had the chance to answer, the window Steve and Bruce were standing by shattered, a figure flying through the air and towards the cradle. The team quickly went into combat mode, but realized that it wasn't necessary when they identified the figure as Thor. Drawing mjolnir above his head, he summoned lightning before directing the force into the cradle, bringing to life the very being in question.

A moment later, the AI went flying from the cradle, hurtling towards where Steve and Bruce stood. Once it reached the window, however, it stopped. Merely taking in its own reflection, it seemed to have a moment of pondering. Floating back toward the team, everyone assembled around the new player in the room.

"I'm sorry about that. I don't know what came over me," came the voice of the being.

"Thor, what the hell, man?!" Tony shouted at Thor, wondering why he had taken the chance of potentially ruining all of their hardwork without even consulting the team.

"I've had a vision. This," he started, gesturing at the yellow stone embedded in the forehead of the figure, "is the mind stone. It is one of six infinity stones, each containing a separate, but great power. I saw that with the help of the mind stone, he can help us defeat Ultron."

Nodding in agreement with Thor, the figure began to address the team.

"He's right," he began, transforming himself to wear a cloak resembling that of his new leader, "I am not human, or computer. I am… I am. I am the vision, and I am here not for myself or for you, or even for Ultron. I am here to protect and bring peace. Or at least I think I am."

"And that peace," Steve began, "Is it with us or against us?" he questioned, skeptical as the first conversation they had with Ultron also began centered around peace.

"When I looked into your head, I saw destruction," Wanda interrupted.

"Look again," Vision stated, "I assure you, I am not here to harm you. I do not wish to harm anyone. I do not even wish to harm Ultron, but he has left me no choice. I am here to help. And the only way that we can help is if we get to where Ultron is and stop the destruction. Now, I know where my allegiances stand. Will you stand with me?" he asked of the group, suddenly holding Thor's hammer towards the center of the group in a sign of strength and leadership. The team was instantly shocked by the fact that he could hold the hammer, but was immediately distracted by the sound of Natasha coming up from the downstairs lab.

"Guys, I've got something! I know where Ari is, and I think we still have enough time to save her!"

As the team glanced around at each other, they knew that now was their time to put any past differences aside. It would take all of them to defeat Ultron, and right now they didn't have time to question it. It was now or never.

"Take 5 minutes to gather what you need. Then, we head into whatever it is we are facing." Steve said to the group, before walking off to prepare himself to save his girl, and save the world.

**Hey, y'all! We are heading towards Sokovia, and thus the end of this story! We only have a few more chapters left in this journey. As always, I hope that you're enjoying it! I'd love to hear from you, so please, leave a review if you feel so inclined. :) I'll have more up soon!**

**-C.**


	19. Chapter 19

Ariadne was sitting in her jail cell, looking around for anything that she could use to escape. She had messaged the team hours ago, or at least she hoped that they had gotten her message… Now, even Ultron and his bots had left, leaving her stuck and wondering if this would be the place that she died. A small, musty, dark jail cell. Alone. Those thoughts were silenced when she heard the sound of a door opening in the distance, and footsteps ringing through the empty fortress. Grabbing anything that she could use as a weapon, Ari stood and prepared herself to face the sudden visitor.

She calmed down as soon as she heard the sound of her favorite voice echoing through the halls.

"Ari?! Ari, where are you?!"

"Steve! I'm in here! I'm stuck in here!"

Her heart nearly leaped out of her chest when she saw her best friend make his way around the corner. They both had relief in their eyes as Steve ran towards her cell, interlocking his fingers with her as he leaned up against the door to check if she was alright.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt at all? Do you need anything?"

"I mean, I wouldn't mind getting out of this jail cell, if that's what you're asking," she smirked back, knocking her best friend out of his reverie.

"Right," Steve laughed, "Stand back," he ordered, before moving to pull the old door off of its hinges. As soon as the door went crashing to the ground, the two rushed forward into the biggest hug they could have possibly given. As Steve placed his head into the crook of Ari's neck, he found comfort in the familiar smell of his best friend.

"I'm so glad that you're alright. I was so worried," he whispered into her ear, still refusing to release her from his embrace, "I'm not letting you out of my sight today, got it?" he laughed, realizing how difficult that would be.

"Steve…" Ari began, noting that that wouldn't be wise for either of them, "We both need to be as focused as possible today. You have to promise me that you won't let your guard down and get yourself hurt because you're thinking about me the whole time, alright?"

"Fine, but just remember," Steve started, pulling back to look her in the eyes, "I'm with you til the end of the line."

At this, Ari couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. She was safe. She was back with her Steve. For the time being, they could just take a moment and be themselves. Be Steve and Ariadne. Two best friends, who had been through more things than one could expect in a lifetime just in the past three years. But here they stood, still in one piece, and back together as they always promised they would be.

"Ari, you know how much you mean to me, right?" Steve asked, seriousness taking over his tone.

"I'm about 7% sure…" Ari teased, a loving glint twinkling in her eye, "Care to remind me?"

"Well, Ariadne Grace. I, Steven Rogers, promise you that you mean the absolute world to me. And I will do anything that I have to in order to protect you. Always."

At this, Ari glanced at the ground, never having felt this much love since her parents died. Yes, she and Steve had always been close before, but this was something new. Something was changing between them, and she couldn't help but like how it felt.

"And I suppose that if I could put it into words, I would have to say that you mean pretty much everything to me as well. You're all I have left. You ARE the world to me, Steve," she said, tears glistening in her eyes.

As Steve took in the beautiful young girl he held in his arms, he couldn't help but lean closer and closer to her.

"Ari…" he whispered, glancing from her eyes to her lips and back again.

"Yes?" she quietly responded, knowing what was coming next. But rather than stop it, she just leaned closer and closer. Their lips were so close to meeting, when suddenly the whole building shifted, throwing the two off balance. Had they not been holding onto each other, they surely would have fallen over.

"We'd better get out there and see what's happening," Steve sadly stated, the moment of being just best friends, or maybe something more, over as they had to go back to the role of super soldier and SHIELD agent.

Nodding her head, Ari grabbed Steve's hand and began moving towards the door. Nothing could have prepared her for what she was about to see, however.

"The city is flying?!" she shouted at Steve, as they noticed the city rising further and further up from where they were standing.

"Stark! Stark, come in," Steve said over his comms, "I have Ari, but we're on the ground level. We need a lift up to the rest of you.

"_I'm a little busy right now, Cap, but can one of you guys go get them so they can join the party_?" Tony responded, swerving to avoid one of Ultron's bots.

Suddenly Ari and Steve heard a roar through the air, and with a flash of green the Hulk was leaping and bounding down to them. Once he had reached them, he quickly grabbed one of them in each arm, and bounced back to the floating Sokovia. The landing was a bit harsh, however, as Steve and Ari went bouncing and rolling out of his arms.

"You alright?" Steve questioned, standing to help pull Ariadne up off of the forest floor.

"Better than I'll be all day, I'm betting," Ari said, still struggling to believe the situation they were in right now. The two quickly ran towards the commotion, looking for wherever they could help.

"_Alright, folks, it's time to start working for our living again" _Tony came in over the comms, giving the team a gameplan to get through this battle, "_Cap, Ari, Nat, and Clint, I want you on ground control. Take down as many of those things as you can, and help save the people. Witchy, you're on mass disposal. Take these bastards down in groups. Pietro, I need you to help wherever you can. You're fast. Use that to your advantage. Thor, you and I are gonna look for ways to bring this city down peacefully. Oh, and Banner? Smash."_

**Hi, all! So Ari and Steve are ****_finally _****starting to get somewhere! Which is good, because we are nearing the end of our story! As always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please, let me know what you thought if you feel so inclined! I also just want to say a quick thank you to everyone who has stuck with me on this journey. It's been fun! I'll have more up in soon. :) **

**-C. **


	20. Chapter 20

"Stark, how's it looking up there?" Natasha questioned, ducking to avoid another attack from one of Ultron's bots. She quickly turned around, using a nearby car to push herself off of, leaping up and electrocuting another drone that was headed towards the team.

"_Not too great. I think I have a way to keep it from impacting the ground, but it'll disintegrate everything up here," _Stark's voice came echoing through the comms.

"No. We can't let any civilians get hurt," Steve ordered, throwing his shield to Ari who quickly used it to take down the advancing robot. Natasha couldn't believe what Steve was saying.

"Steve, _everyone_ down there versus the people up here? There's no math in that! We can't save everyone…"

"Yes, we can," Steve responded, determined to do the right thing and fix this mess that they had made. "Team, I want you to keep fighting them off. Do anything that you can to take these things down. Ari, I want you to come with me and try to figure out a way to evacuate the city," he ordered, fighting his way through to the edge of the city. Once they had arrived, he began frantically searching for a plane, a helicopter, anything that could get these people back down to ground level.

"Hey, Steve, we're gonna be okay. We're doing everything that we can, but you can't tell me that you really think we are all going to get off of here alive…" Ari said, stopping him momentarily from his search.

"We're the Avengers. We're supposed to be able to save these people, not condemn them."

"And we will save as many of them as we can," Ari reassured him, placing a hand on his arm.

"Look, Ari," Steve began, "I am not leaving until every civilian is off of this rock. I can't…"

"Who said anything about leaving?" Ari whispered to him, cutting him off before he could respond after the stubborn look he gave her. "I know that you want to protect everyone, and I know that you don't want these people, or me, in harms way. But you know? I could think of worse ways to go…" she trailed off, looking out over the edge of the city at the forests and lakes below her.

"At least we're together," Ari said, placing her hand in Steve's and smiling up at him, "And besides, where else are we gonna be able to find a view like this?" she joked, doing all that she could to calm her best friend's worries.

"_I'm glad you like the view, Miss Grace," _Nick Fury's voice came in over the comms. Suddenly, the hellicarrier rose into Steve and Ari's view, a new signal of hope rising with it.

"Fury, you son of a bitch," Steve gasped, shocked and relieved by the actions of his former director.

"Language," Ari chuckled at Steve, glad that her best friend was getting the solution he had been praying for. Steve smiled down at Ariadne, giving her hand one last squeeze before going into action mode.

"Stark, we have a way to get the people off. Do you think we can keep this thing from going until everyone is clear?"

_"__Ultron has everyone headed towards the core. We need to keep them away from that to stand any sort of chance," _Tony responded, making his way towards the core himself.

"Alright, here's the plan. I want all hands protecting that core. Fury, I need your men helping to load these civilians onto these boats. Get them off of this rock. Ari, I want you to stay here and assist with the civilians," Steve ordered, preparing to head off to the core. Ari quickly grabbed his hand, pulling him in for a quick hug and whispering to "be safe" before allowing him to leave. With a nod of the head to each other, the two best friends began their task to help save Sokovia.

As Steve arrived at the core, he saw that the rest of his team was there, ready to face Ultron and his army.

"Is that the best you can do?!" Thor shouted at the robot, immediately regretting his decision to do so as hundreds more bots came running in. The Avengers quickly went to work, kicking, stunning, running, smashing, shooting, and controlling the robots away from the core. Vision, Thor, and Stark had managed to defeat Ultron, and the majority of the bots had been scattered. As the team took a moment to breathe in what seemed like a temporary win, Ari's voice came in over the comms.

"_Guys, some of the bots are rogue! They're flying from the city!"_

"We can't let a single bot escape!" Stark shouted, preparing to fly off and stop them.

"_Don't worry guys. I've got this!" _came the voice of Rhodey, fully ready to fight in his War Machine suit.

"Stark, go help him. Keep them from escaping," Steve commanded, "Everyone else, the air is getting pretty thin up here. Even I can tell that. We need to get ourselves to the boats."

"But what about the core?" Natasha questioned. Before Steve could respond, a new voice joined the conversation.

"I'll stay and protect it," Wanda voiced. Giving the Captain a reassuring nod, she moved closer to her post.

"You heard her. Let's move out," Steve stated, making his way back towards the boats.

"Go, get the others onto the boats. I'll meet you there," Wanda told her brother. When he didn't begin moving, she insisted again, "Did you hear me? I said go!"

"You know I am 2 minutes older than you," he joked, finally giving in to his sister's demands.

"Just go," Wanda chuckled, ready to guard the core no matter what.

As the rest of the team arrived back at the boats, they saw that Ari had managed to load the civilians onto the boats already.

"Did you get everyone?" Steve asked, running up to make sure that she was alright.

"I think so," Ari nodded, "We swept the area a few times, just in case."

"Then let's go," Steve said, placing an arm around his best friend and pulling her towards the boats that would take them to safety. As they came closer to the boat, they could make out the distressed screaming of a young mother.

"We were in the market! I don't know where he is now!" she sobbed, talking about her missing son. Ari and Steve turned around to see a young boy, crawling up the ladder of what must have been a basement. As Steve turned to walk back and retrieve the young boy, Thor came up to him to discuss the finalities of the plan. Ari glanced at the boy, and reassured Steve that she would go get him.

"I'll be right back," she said, leaving the two team members to talk and ensure that they were going along with the plan correctly.

As Ariadne approached the young boy, she held her hand out to him.

"Hey there. You ok, kiddo?" she asked the clearly shaken up small boy. At first he shied away from her, unsure who he could trust.

"I'm Ari. I'm with the Avengers. I'm one of the good guys, I promise," she smiled at him, noting his apprehension. At this, he seemed to soften up, accepting her hand as she pulled him up from where he was hiding. "Let's get you back to your mom, ok?" she said, picking up the young boy in order to get back to the boats faster.

As they began their journey back, though, the sudden sound of a jet came into the area. Before they knew it, a machine gun was shooting off right down the path of where the Avengers stood.

"Ari!" Steve shouted, making eye contact with his best friend, and preparing to run to her. Before he could make it very far, he and Thor were in the line of fire, and he was forced to protect himself with his shield.

Ariadne quickly turned to protect the small child from the oncoming fire of bullets, and prepared herself for the worst. As she waited, though, she suddenly realized that the jet had passed, and she was alright. Turning, she saw a car that had not been there before, bullet holes filling it. As she slowly stood up, she saw Steve running over to her…. But that wasn't where her focus was. Instead, she was too shocked by the body of Pietro Maximoff lying next to the car, his last action being to save one of his new team members.

Ari could faintly hear the sound of Steve ushering her towards the boat, Thor turning to carry the fallen twin along with them. As they finally got to the boat, Ari gave the young mother her son to hold onto before going and sliding into a chair, shock still riddling her. She saw where Steve was standing at the edge of the boat, staring back at the battleground. Realizing that they were both incredibly shaken up, she moved to stand by him. Once she had reached Steve, she questioned him,

"Hey, you ok? You look pretty shaken up…"

"I'm fine," Steve responded shortly, "It's a shame about Pietro, but I'm glad that _he_ was there to protect you…"

As the voice of Tony came over the comm system, they knew that it was time to leave Sokovia. As the boat began moving towards the hellicarrier, Steve hopped onto it, walking past Ari and towards Clint and Natasha to ensure that they were alright. Ariadne couldn't help but feel incredibly hurt and confused by this, wondering what she could have possible done, and why Steve seemed so upset over Pietro saving her. He and the Maximoff twin weren't that close, as far as she knew. Determined to ask him once they had gotten out of harms way, she went and sat next to Natasha, leaning into the other agent's embrace as they both realized how much they could have lost today.


	21. Chapter 21

_As the sun set over the city, the destruction that had taken place that day truly set in. The final rays of light glinted off of the shards of metal and glass, which formerly took shape of houses and belongings, now lying on the ground discarded from the after math of the battle. Amongst the rubble, citizens searched for valuables, pets, and even loved ones as their hope of finding anything important drew to a close along with the day. Amongst the civilians, a lone figure sat, staring into the wreckage. _

"We've really got to stop meeting like this," Ari remarked, walking towards where Steve sat.

"Last time this happened, you told me that I'd '_done everything I could'_, but why does it feel like I'm always letting people down?" Steve sighed as Ariadne sat down next to him.

"Steve, you're just one man. You can't save the world on your own," she sighed, hoping that she could one day prove to him that he _was_ good enough.

"Yet somehow I can never be the one there to save the only thing that matters to me," Steve mumbled. Standing to move away from Ari and towards the lake, he ran his fingers through his hair, "You know, I'm getting really tired of constantly almost losing you. Every time I see you in danger, I can't help but feel like it's all my fault. I can't live like that, Ari. It's killing me…" he trailed off, hopelessness filling his voice.

"Steve, you're doing everything that you can! You helped save hundreds of people today, and I could never forgive myself if I took away from that by getting in the way. You have to start trusting that I'll be okay, too," Ari refuted, frustrated that Steve couldn't see all of the good that he'd done. She knew that he cared, and she truly appreciated that, but at some point he had to stop obsessing over only her safety when she wasn't the greater good.

"You're a hero, Steve. Everyone knows it. When will you?" she sighed, walking closer to him and placing a hand on his arm.

"Maybe. But I'm never saving the one that matters… How great of a hero can I be when I have to depend on other people taking care of my biggest concern?"

"Steve, you can't be mad that Pietro saved me today! You have saved me in more ways than you know… 3 years ago, you saved me from feeling like a failure. After Uncle Phil, you saved me from falling into that loneliness, just today you saved me from dying in some god-forsaken dungeon! So stop saying that you're never there for me, when we both know that sure as hell isn't true!" Ari responded, the frustration growing in her voice.

"Ari, you don't understand…" Steve sighed, again walking away from her.

"Then explain it to me, Steve!" Ari heatedly responded, letting him know that she was not letting this go without a fight, "If I really don't understand, then clue me in instead of leaving me in the dark! You're my best friend, but I can't read your mind all of the time. You have to help me out if you want me to be able to stay this close to you…"

"Then maybe I don't!" Steve snapped, immediately regretting it upon seeing the hurt that was filling Ari's face.

"Fine. Whatever. Just don't drag the rest of the team down in your little pity party, Steve," Ari responded, beginning to walk away.

"Ari, wait, that's not what I meant—" Steve started.

"No, I think that somewhere, deep down, that's exactly what you meant," Ari sighed, "You know, I honestly can't keep you straight anymore, Steve. Right now you're standing here telling me that you can't stand not being there to save me, implying that you care too much. But now you're insisting on pushing me away again… And then earlier today, you act like I'm still the best thing in the world to you, hugging me, and _almost kissing me_, might I add, like you were so relieved to have me back," seeing Steve's expression upon her mentioning the moment they had shared what seemed like decades ago, but was in fact mere hours before, Ari pressed him on that matter, "Are we really not going to talk about that?"

"Ari, I care about you. You know that… But I can't do this to you. You deserve better. You deserve someone who can actually be there for you…" Steve trailed off.

"God, Steve, you are so stubborn! Why can't you just realize that it's not just about you wanting to keep me safe?! Your opinion isn't the only one that matters here, you know. Have you ever thought about the fact that maybe I want to be with you?! Maybe I've realized that I can't live my life without you by my side?! Stop thinking about how _you _feel about us, and maybe think about how _we _should feel about things… We can't just keep pushing this to the side. You mean to much to me to lose…" Ari vented, realizing that she may be putting everything on the line, but no longer caring.

"You're my best friend, Steve. You need to realize that you are _more _than good enough," Ari said, again trying to move closer to Steve, "Please, just talk to me. Don't shut me out…" Ari pleaded, hoping that her best friend understood how much he truly meant to her.

As Steve prepared to respond, they were suddenly interrupted by Clint's presence.

"Guys, we've got Stark and Thor. It's time to head home."

Steve and Ari nodded at Clint's information, then turned to follow him back to the hellicarrier. Ari tried to slip her hand into Steve's, hoping for some sign that they were okay, but instead he brushed her off, walking faster to catch up to Clint. As Ariadne walked behind the two, she couldn't help but feel hurt, realizing that this whole Ultron thing may have left her even lonelier than when Steve had found her three years ago. She should have been used to her world crashing down around her, but this time it seemed like it was going to hit harder than ever. And she wasn't quite sure how to prepare for that.

Stepping onto the hellicarrier, the teammates asked her if she was alright, but she merely gave them a quick "I'm fine," before finding herself a seat by the window and observing the ground below. The rubble they had caused seemed to represent how she was feeling inside, but this time, she wasn't so sure that she was going to be able to rebuild.


	22. Chapter 22

As Ariadne walked out of the elevator, she heard Natasha's voice echoing through the halls. Clint had sent Ari down to Nat's floor, hoping that she could get something out of the grieving assassin.

"Bruce, it's me. Again. Listen, I know that you probably aren't getting these, but if you are, please… Call me back… Come home. We can figure something out, together," Nat said, her voice cracking as the tears streamed down her face. "Look, I know that you think that you have to run, and that it's safer for me not to be with you, but it's not. I don't care about any of it, I just care about you. Please don't shut me out…. Call me back, Bruce.. Please…" Nat ended the call, setting her phone on the side table before turning to stare out the window. She heard the footsteps of one of her best friends approaching, but chose not to address Ari entering.

"He loved the city, you know. He would never admit it because he felt too bad about destroying it before, but he really felt at home here…" Nat trailed off.

"Nat, we are gonna do everything that we can to find him. I promise," Ari said, joining the woman where she stood at the window.

"Even if he does come back, how do we get past this? He chose to leave us… he chose to leave me…." She started, unsure if she could finish this thought, "What if he's hurt? Fury says that he has no idea where he went down because he never took the damn jet out of stealth mode. Stark is working on a way to bypass the system, but nothing is working!" Nat shouted, worry filling her voice. Ari knew how hard this was on her, and she was prepared to do whatever she could to make her feel better.

"You did all that you could for him. You have to realize that. He knew… he knows how much you care about him. And he cares about you, too. He wouldn't leave all that behind without a good reason. And when we find him, you two will have plenty of time to discover that reason ok?" Ari consoled her.

"I just miss him… and I'm not used to this. This isn't what I was trained for, so I don't know if I'm handling this right. Although, judging by the fact that I already caused the guy to run away, I'm guessing that I'm not."

"You're handling things just fine, Nat. You of all people deserve someone to be there for you. Someone to take care of you no matter what. Someone that you know that you can always depend on, and who makes you infinitely happy. Bruce is that someone, and we just have to not give up on him. But you're not in this alone. We're all here for you," Ari smiled up at her, and she was relieved to see that Nat's tears had stopped and a slight hope had replaced itself in her eyes.

"You deserve that, too, Ari… How are things with Steve? I noticed how distant he was being earlier…"

Ariadne sighed before beginning, wondering herself how things actually were.

"We haven't spoken in days. He's doing everything that he can to push me away. I've honestly reached the point of wondering if he's doing this to protect me, or if he's doing this to prevent the inevitable awkwardness that will come from our last conversation…" she sighed, playing with the bracelet on her wrist that Steve had given her so long ago. She couldn't help but smirk to herself at the meaning behind it. _Forever together_. What a truthful meaning that was turning out to be.

"What did happen? I just got the gist of things from Clint that you two had a pretty big argument about Sokovia,"

"I told him. Everything. He knows how I feel, and I left the ball in his court… And now, he hasn't done a damn thing. I thought I was so sure… I thought that he couldn't possibly not feel the same way as I was. But I guess I was wrong… We're both pretty great at that whole missed opportunities thing, aren't we?" Ari laughed sadly, heartbreak displaying itself across her face no matter how hard she tried to cover it up.

"Ari, you know that's not true. Steve cares about you more than anything else in this world… I think that's the problem," at Ari's confused expression, Natasha continued, "It kills him whenever you're in danger. It absolutely kills him to not be able to always protect you. But he knows that this is what he has to do. He has to protect the world, and he doesn't want to keep dragging you into it. So now, he's stuck having to choose between being the faithful soldier or the man who's in love… And believe me, he is head over heels for you, my dear," Nat assured, looking at Ariadne's skeptical expression.

"He sure has a funny way of showing it…"

"Just don't give up on him yet. He can't live without you, and that's what scares him. But he'll come around. You're his best girl, after all," Nat reassured Ari, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Nat's right, you know," a new voice entered the conversation, "And there isn't anyone else that I would entrust with the heart of my little sister," Clint added, pulling Ari into a side hug. "But I'm not afraid to spear him right in his star-spangled ass if he doesn't stop being such an idiot," he added jokingly, dodging Ari's attempt to slap him across the back of the head, "I'm kidding! But we do have to go back up to the main level. Stark and Cap want everyone to regroup."

As the team entered the main level of Avengers tower, there was a certain feeling in the air. While everyone was relieved to be alive, they couldn't help but note the fact that it wasn't the team. Not everyone was there, and that could not be overlooked.

"Well, folks, we faced a pretty hard battle out there," Tony began, "We came out on top, but we lost some of ourselves along the way…" at this, he glanced at Nat and Wanda before continuing, "but we also gained something as well. A sense of peace, for now, and some new team members… That being said, I know that not all of us can handle the whole _saving the world _thing right now, so I wanted to see what everyone's plans are. Are we staying here for awhile? Are we all going to live on Barton's farm? Are we finding the big guy in Fiji?" That comment earned him several glares from the team. "Too soon, right…" Tony trailed off, before sitting down at his place at the table.

"I, for one, am hanging up my arrows for awhile. I've got a floor to finish, and as scary as terrorists can be I'd rather face one of them before I face an angry Laura…" Clint chimed in, letting the team know that he indeed needed a break to be with his family.

"I'm with Legolas on that one. Pepper and I need some much needed R&amp;R after this last year or so. I'm happy to still consult, as we know that you all would be hopelessly lost without me, but I'm taking some mental health time," Tony said.

"It's a little late for mental health time, don't you think?" Ari joked with Tony, realizing just how much she would miss him.

"You're all still welcome at the tower, of course," Tony added, "Although if this one keeps up her sass, some of the lock codes might be changed," he smirked to Ari.

"I shall be returning to Asgard, upon the earliest convenience. That vision showed me many things, and now that I have taken care of the problems here on Midgard, I must return to my own people," Thor commented, worry for his home still plaguing him as he was again torn between two worlds.

"Well I'm going back out there. The fight isn't finished yet, and I don't think it ever will be. I'm going to grow the team with our new players, and keep us ready for whatever's yet to come," Steve added, always the loyal soldier. At this idea, Nat, Vision, and Wanda nodded in agreement to his plan.

"I'm coming with you," Ari responded, hoping that Steve would allow her in without a fight.

"No, you're not," he growled under his breath, refusing to make eye contact with her.

"Yes, Steve, I am. You can't keep me from coming! It's my duty too!"

"I can and will keep you from coming! You're not coming, and that's an order!" Steve shouted, storming out of the room. If he thought that was the end of this, he had another thing coming. Ari quickly ran after him, prepared to give him a piece of her mind.

"Steve, this isn't over. This is my decision, too, you know!" Ari shouted, running through the halls to catch up to his brisk pace, "You can't keep telling me what to do. Just talk to me! Let me in again. Trust me. I don't get why you are trying so hard to push me away," Ari said with hurt filling her voice. Steve stopped in his tracks, a sigh coming from his clearly frustrated response.

"I'm not trying to push you away… But I can't let you come with me. It's better this way," he responded, moving towards the elevator.

"Better for who? Better for you to be able to pretend that we aren't anything? Better for you to pretend that _this," _she said, gesturing between the two of them, "means nothing?" Ari responded, tears filling her eyes out of frustration. You could tell that this was hurting Steve just as much as it was hurting her. He had to fight every ounce of his being not to wrap her in his arms and never let her go, promising to protect her from everything and that he was always going to be there. But instead he was the very thing hurting the girl that he had always planned on keeping out of harms way. As he struggled to form a response from his clearly contradictory feelings, he stepped into the elevator. Taking one last look at Ari before the doors closed, he once again sighed.

"If you come, you are coming on your own. I can't support this."

If Steve thought that he could decide what Ari could do, he was going to be in a world of hurt. Ari knew that Nat was right about waiting for him to come around. She could already tell that he was breaking just as much as she does with their distance. It was only a matter of time. And when it came to Steve, Ari had all the time in the world.


	23. Chapter 23

As Ari exited the elevator, she made her way towards the room that Director Fury told her he would be in. They had been at the new Avengers facility for a little over a month, and Ari was done with giving Steve space. It was time to figure this thing out once and for all. Their distance was killing her, and from what she had heard through the grapevine, he wasn't doing so hot either. As she entered the empty room, she found him staring at the wall deep in thought.

"So, you just gonna stare at that wall forever?" Ari questioned, stepping further into the room now that he was aware that she was there, "I mean, it is a pretty interesting wall."

"Ari," Steve turned, his voice and face flashing a sign of relief that she was finally there. She was finally standing in front of him again. He had felt like his lifeline, the very air that he breathed, had been taken away without his best friend around. He was more torn than ever between doing the right thing for his country, and doing the right thing for himself.

"You gonna tell me what's up? You used to do that a lot once upon a time," Ari trailed off, noting how far apart they'd drifted. Before it was impossible for them to go a day without the other one's presence, now they were pushing a month and a half and she didn't know how she was still living.

"This is home… You know that," Steve started, finding it entirely too easy to open up again to the girl standing in front of him, "I just thought that finally being back home would be better… But it just doesn't feel right. Something is missing, and I can't decide if I want to do something about it or just get back to the mission at hand…"

"And what's stopping you from deciding?" Ari asked, moving further into the room, and subsequently closer to Steve.

"Both options are dangerous. I can't do my job without what's missing, because I'm just too distracted all the time… But I can't do my job with what's missing, because I can't put it in harms way again…" Steve trailed off, realizing that Ari knew he was talking about her at this point. She had always been able to read him like a book, and their time apart wouldn't change that.

"Just to be clear, we are talking about Bucky, right?" Ari jokingly asked, hoping to add some light to the situation. To her relief, Steve looked at her with one of his genuine smiles that she had been missing so much.

"There it is. I was beginning to think that you had forgotten how to smile," she started, moving even closer to Steve." I guess I really do bring out the best in you," she smiled up at him, placing her hand on his arm. To her surprise, instead of moving away, he instead grabbed her hand in his, taking a moment to just be with her.

"Ari…" he breathed out, keeping his grip on her hand, but still keeping his gaze towards the ground. "I need you… I need you by my side, everyday. I've grown so dependent on you, that I honestly don't know how to be myself anymore without you… I've spent so long by myself, and I've been just fine. But now… I can't be without you. I've tried. It doesn't work. And that scares me…"

"Steve, you don't have to be scared. I'm right here, and I'm always going to be. You know that," Ari started, pulling his face up so that he was looking her in the eyes, "I've told you so many times. I'm with you til the end—"

"Of the line. I know," Steve finished, "But the end of the line is gonna come. And I'm not ready for that," he started, pulling away from her and walking towards the window. Looking out at the agents below, he realized that this was his life, before, now, and for the foreseeable future.

"I can never give you the normal life that you deserve, Ari…" he sighed, "you deserve the white picket fence, and a family, and a guy that has a normal 9 to 5 job and that you know is going to come home safely to you every night. After all that you've been through, you deserve to have someone that will always be there for you. And even though I want to more than anything, I can't promise you that…. You don't deserve to be with someone who is putting you in harms way constantly, and who can't always guarantee every promise will be held up on time, and who doesn't know what's coming at him on a daily basis. You deserve better than that…"

"Steve, I don't want any of the stuff that you just described! Yes, once upon a time that did in fact sound like the best thing in the world, but that's not what matters to me anymore," Ariadne argued, moving towards Steve and placing a hand on his shoulder, "The only thing that I know anymore is that I need you in my life. I need you more than I can even say, and being apart from you has killed me. So if you want to stop hurting me, then you really should stop trying to keep me safe by staying away from me. Because that's the greatest hurt of all…" Ari admitted, hoping that this could be it. The last time that they ever argued over this. "I don't want the white picket fence, and the dog, and the minivan. There's only one thing that I've ever been sure that I wanted, and that's you. I, Ariadne Grace, want you Steven Rogers," she said, placing a hand on his cheek and giving him a look that was filled with more love than he had ever seen. For a moment, he almost gave in.

"Ari, we just can't! I can't keep putting my best girl in danger… That's what kills me more than anything! You have no idea how much I just want to take you in my arms, and never let you go, and tell you that I want you, too. More than I've ever wanted anything. I spent my whole life trying to figure out who I was and what my place was. And the only time that I'm ever really sure about who I am and where I belong is when I'm with you. Because I know in my heart that's where I belong," Steve started, giving himself some distance from Ari so that he could still think logically,

"But I was given a task. I am supposed to save people from the evils of the world, and that includes saving you. So please, don't ask me to put you in harms way again… Because I care about you too much to be able to do that," he finished, looking at her with pleading eyes.

He should have known, though, that his best friend had always been the stubborn kind. She was not going to let him off the hook that easily. Moving forward to again place a hand on his cheek, she was relieved to see that this time he leaned into her touch, letting his eyes drift closed in content.

"Steve… Do me a favor, ok?" she whispered, continuing after he hummed in response, "stop thinking about why we shouldn't be, and start thinking about why we should. I can list about a million reasons. Can you?"

"Of course I can, Ari… I run through them every night when I'm falling asleep, and I wake up still thinking of them…" Steve trailed off, realizing that he was truly fighting a losing battle, and it was proving to be the hardest battle he had ever fought.

"I'm not shaking you anytime soon, am I?" Steve finally gave in, slightly smiling as he wrapped his arms around her waste.

"I wouldn't place my money on it," Ari laughed, more relieved than she could say that Steve was finally accepting this.

"I know that we can't fight this anymore, Ari, I really do… But I can't lose you… Are you sure that we are doing the right thing?"

"Steve, do you think that this feels right?" Ari started. As he nodded his head in response, she chose to continue, "Then we are. Because I know for a fact that Captain America has been known to stand up for righteousness in the past," she chuckled, smiling when Steve leaned in and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Then I guess that's settled. Because how could I argue with what's right?" Steve smirked back.

"We sure have been dancing around this for awhile, haven't we?" Ari asked, running a finger up and down his chest as she placed her other hand on his bicep.

"Well, you know, I always have been wiling to learn how to dance," Steve whispered, leaning his face closer to Ari's.

"What took you so long, old man?" Ari whispered back, lifting her head up to look into his eyes. _This is finally happening_, she realized as Steve leaned closer and closer to her. Finally, when their faces were only centimeters apart, Steve stopped.

"I finally found the right partner," he whispered, before finally pulling Ariadne in, their lips meeting in what Steve could only describe as the most magical moment he had ever experienced. His heart swelled as he pulled his best friend and best girl closer to him, smiling as Ari kissed him back with as much passion and love as he was feeling inside. When they finally couldn't go without air, the two pulled away from each other without moving far. Still within a breath of each other, they stood to fully take in the moment. They were finally there. They were finally together, and they could finally be Ari and Steve once again. The inseparable duo.

"Ari…" Steve started, leaning in to kiss her softly. He pulled back much sooner than Ari would have liked, and taking a moment to look into her eyes, all he could do was smile.

"What?" Ari asked, smiling back up at Steve.

"Ariadne Grace," Steve began, "I can honestly say that you have made me the happiest person on the planet in the last three years. And I will spend the rest of my days until we reach the end of the line making you as happy as you make me. I promise I will always be there for you, and protecting you, and I will never be stupid enough to push you away ever again."

"Steve, you have become the only thing that matters in my life. You are my family, my best friend, and my everything. And I cannot thank you enough for all that you've done. I can't imagine my life without you," she finished, as Steve pulled her in for another kiss. Pulling slightly away, Steve whispered to Ari the only thing that could encompass how he was feeling,

"I love you," he said softly, leaning in for another short kiss. Ari couldn't help the soaring feeling she felt in her heart, wondering if this was how flying felt.

"And I love you. Always."

And always they would try. Because Ariadne finally had _her _super soldier, and Steve finally had his best girl. And they were with each other until the end of the line.

**Alright, folks! With that, we have come to the end of this particular journey. I really hope that you all have enjoyed it, and I've loved having each and every one of you take part in this. Thank you for all of the support! You've been an absolute wonderful audience. :) Til next time!**

**-C. **


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